Mobile Suit Gundam Alpha: The Hunt for Dolowa
by Wing Zero Alpha
Summary: Following Anges and her recovery in System J-292, the Ark Royal returns to the galactic battlefront. As she proceeds however, she and those aboard unwittingly become entangled in a great hunt. One against the most powerful of beasts...
1. Chapter I: Denied Triumph

_"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."_  
\- Sun Tzu

**Chapter I: Denied Triumph**

**Zeon **_**Rewloola**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Rennec**_**  
Arcturus System  
January 15, GC 378**

They were close. Only thirty-six point seven light years away to be exact; thirty-six point seven light years from awaited victory. They just needed to push that much more through the onslaught, through the wanton rabble that was presently hindering them, and Earth would be theirs at last. And with it, over three centuries of bitter enmity and humiliation avenged, to say nothing of their principle enemy being removed from the War. No, the _Conquest_.

It was with this renewed resolve that Rear Admiral Johannes Lutjin concentrated forward, focusing his attention on the Federation ships that remained well ahead of him and his squadron. The usual smattering of _Chicago_-class cruisers spearheaded by a handful of _Montana_-class battlecruisers, the magenta colored beams of their main guns flashing across his bridge monitor alongside the occasional missile burst. Every now and then one of their number would be stricken by the return fire from his own ships and obliterate, the gleam of the explosion always causing him some small measure of triumph. Every ship destroyed there was one less to defend Earth proper when Zeon finally came marching upon Sol.

And then there were the mobile suits, who remained ever present, their much lesser (but by no means less effective) weapons fire a continual presence between the capital ships. From the portside, Lutjin watched as another _Zaku_ team launched straight into the melee, with Federation _Guncannons_ already responding to their approach with cannon and rifle fire. One of the _Zakus_ caught a bad break, being struck head on by dual cannon blasts, but its two wingmates pressed on, firing their bazooka and machine gun in tandem as they drove forward. Lutjin couldn't tell if they actually hit anything, as it was only a matter of minutes before they too were distant, but judging from the exchanged yellow and magenta weapons fire, the two Zeon mobile suits were giving the Feddies quite the handful. Just as the rest of their brethren were doing, within and without his squadron's sector.

_Lowborn fools,_ Lutjin thought with disdain as he watched two more _Chicago_-class cruisers be destroyed, one by his squadron's fire and the other by a _Zaku_'s bazooka strike. It was only be sheer fortune that Zeon had not yet obtained victory. But then, it was also sheer fortune that the Imperial armada had been unable to jump straight onto Earth from the start, "only" being able to get within its doorstep at Arcturus. And though Lutjin would have rather fought the battle within Sol itself, it ultimately did not matter where they decimated the EFSF, so long as Earth was rendered open and vulnerable. Rendered helpless to the power and superiority of the Empire.

Still, the Feddie lowborn were giving them quite the workout for their efforts, Lutjin begrudgingly admitted. Such was the case when one of the _Musakas_ flanking his flagship was struck head on, detonating in a brilliant explosion that momentarily rocked his flagship. Cursing at the loss, Lutjin was quick to order that hole in his formation filled and for responding fire to be made, but the point remained apparent. Inferior as they were, the Earthnoids were not about to let their homeworld, and all others aligned with it, fall so easily.

"Additional ships incoming!" the sensor operator alerted. "Three cruisers and a battlecruiser!"

_Damn it,_ Lutjin thought as the bridge monitor centered on the approaching Feddie ships, who were already open firing with their main guns and missile tubes. Two _Zaku_ teams raced to meet them, only to be intercepted by the defending _Guncannons_ and forced into a dogfight. There really seemed to be no end of the Earthnoid vermin. "Have _Marzal_ and _Meflin_ intercept! Do not let them close!"

Upon his command, the two designated _Musakas_ broke away and concentrated their fire, taking out one of the _Chicagos_ straight on while damaging another. The leading _Montana_ immediately responded, but was unable to strike either cruiser straight away, and was further dissuaded when the _Rennec_ and her support ships turned their own guns about. The Earth ships were thus forced into evasion, averting from their initial vector as neon yellow rain launched at them head on.

"_Guncannons_ incoming!" Lutjin again heard the sensor operator yell out in warning. Cursing even more, the Admiral braced with the rest of the bridge crew as a pair of _Guncannons_, a _Trooper_ and a _Hellfire_, drove at them, weaving through the _Rennec_'s defending phalanx fire. The _Trooper_ was eventually gunned down before it could shoot, but the _Hellfire_ got in close enough to fire a missile spray, right before being forced back by an intercepting _Zaku_. In turn, at least two missiles were intercepted by the phalanx, but the rest made it through and hit their target, the battlecruiser rocking again as though it had been struck by an asteroid.

"Damage report!" the _Rennec_'s captain demanded straight away.

"Cannon turret three lost!" the tactical operator resounded. "Hull damage port midships!"

"Deploy damage control teams!" the captain ordered in turn.

"Maintain offensive," Lutjin ordered calmly, just in case anyone had other ideas. "Do not break formation."

Nobody questioned his command, as he had expected. Surely they all felt what he was feeling now; victory coming closer and closer to their reach. So long as they continued their drive, Earth would be theirs in the end.

A thought that Lutjin thoroughly anticipated.

* * *

_Lowborn scum,_ Lieutenant Mallet Sanguine thought in distaste as even more _Guncannons_ came at him, their rifles and shoulder guns firing in tandem. By that point in the battle he could have dodged such fire in his sleep, even in a mobile suit other than his _Zaku_. Regardless, he turned his steed around and launched back at them, his machine gun firing rapid bursts that forced the Feddie suits to disperse. One of the _Guncannons_ was easily taken out as he passed, the explosion momentarily flashing over his monitor, but otherwise doing nothing to hinder him.

No sooner than he made that latest kill did another _Trooper_ attempt to flank him, firing its beam rifle at his backside. Mallet didn't need his eyes or _Zaku_'s sensors to see the attack. In mind's eye, he saw the _Guncannon_ line up its shot, its Earthnoid pilot grinning smugly as he was going to nail "this Zeek in the ass" with the "money shot". Needless to say, it gave her no small amount of pleasure when he banked away from said "money shot" and flipped his mobile suit around, just catching an image of the dumbfounded Earthnoid before he blew him away with a machine gun blast to the cockpit. Its wingman moved in afterward, but he easily dodged his fire as well, not even having to use his beam shield as he shot over its head, which was promptly blasted off as well.

With that same special sense, Mallet was able to keep track of not just the field around him, but the whole of Arcturus as the battle waged on. He purposely dwelled on his immediate surroundings however, lest he get caught up in the sheer destruction and otherwise distracted. That being said however, there was much destruction to go around; both Zeon and Federation ships and mobile suits were now laid to ruin across the field, while those that remained continued to fight one another with abandon. From his perspective, it was almost a tossup, as both sides drove at each other in full force, his side seeking to obliterate Earth's last real defense while the Feddies fought to the last to defend their homeworld. The victor would be the one that blinked last, though Mallet had little doubt his side would outlast the inferiors.

Picking up even more weapons fire, Mallet twisted around to see that a _Chicago_-class cruiser and four more _Guncannons_ had now targeted him, all launching missiles and beams. He couldn't help but laugh a little at that; a warship was actually gunning for him, though he was a little offended that it was a "meager" cruiser. It would take far more than that to kill him, though he supposed the Feddies were fast running out of battlecruisers, and there were only enough Trojan Horses present to go around.

In any case, he gunned his thrusters and shot after the cruiser, which immediately redirected its phalanx and threw up a wall of beam fire, in turn supplemented by the _Guncannons_. Switching out his machine gun for his axe, the blade igniting in a yellow gleam, Mallet was quick to draw up to the first _Guncannon_, the resident _Commander_, and cut it down across the middle. By some virtue it didn't explode, so he knocked the corpse aside as he moved upon the second _Guncannon_, dodging its snap shoulder cannon fire and slashing it across the backside. This one did explode, but he jetted away at the right moment, thereby preventing damage or worse.

Both remaining pilots, as well as the cruiser's bridge crew, realizing that they were not up against an average Zeek, the two _Guncannons_ fired in tandem with the _Chicago_'s phalanx and missiles, saturating the surrounding space with beams and projectiles. He danced around all of it, with not a single beam so much as grazing his _Zaku_, all the while charging straight at the two _Troopers_. They both split apart, so he intercepted one, bifurcating its head with a single axe stroke. It raised its rifle for a point blank shot, but he easily knocked that aside as the trigger was pulled, and then drove his axe blade into its own cockpit before it could deploy its beam shield. The pilot's life force was gone in an instant, as had been the case with many before. To him, it was little different than turning an illuminator off.

For the last _Guncannon_, he had something more special in mind. Feigning a direct attack, he launched his _Zaku_ after it, dodging the now wholly terrified pilot's haphazard shooting as he closed in. At the last second however, he ascended and moved behind the Federation suit, from which he slashed at its backpack and the Apollo Thrusters mounted there. It attempted to turn around, only for him to cut off both of its legs for its efforts, and then its arms, all in a spectacular display of maneuvering. And then finally, he removed both shoulder cannons and the head, all with the precision of a surgeon. But he was far from done.

Grasping the now helpless torso, Mallet angled it right at the cruiser's bridge and again put his _Zaku_ to full burn. Immediately realizing his intent, the cruiser escalated its anti-air fire, which Mallet weaved through despite the added bulk of the _Guncannon_ torso and the noise of its screaming pilot. Only until he was at a very specific point, which he again used his special senses to identify, did he at last release his captive, allowing the ruined Federation suit to drive head long into the bridge tower of the cruiser, smashing it and all within in a rather grand display. Finally, Mallet fired his hip-mounted missile launchers, the six guided projectiles driving into the embedded torso and obliterating it, causing the sought after chain reaction.

The cruiser's complete destruction one nothing less than extravagant, though against the rest of the battle it was little more than another pinprick of light. That being said however, Mallet looked upon that gleam with great pride. Such would be the fate of all inferiors – both physical and spiritual – that stood against her.

Unfortunately the moment quickly came to an abrupt and wholly unanticipated end. At first it came across as a flash of lightning in Mallet's mind; a sudden wave of emotion running through the Zeon ranks, all of various makes. Much of it was general resignation, while those of higher bearing held confusion, and then those that retained sheer zeal initial refusal. This was quickly followed by the broadband signal passed to all Zeon units, with Mallet being among them.

He could only look upon the resultant command in his own astonishment.

* * *

**Zeon **_**Rewloola**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Rennec**_**  
Arcturus System**

"Retreat!?" Lutjin let out in sheer disbelief. Between the reported command and the force of his voice, the whole bridge nearly froze in activity.

"Yes sir," the communicators operator reported solemnly, having been on the _Rennec_ long enough to know what the admiral was thinking. "Grand Admiral Dozle's direct command."

Such was his disbelief that Lutjin was unable to conceal it, even if he had consciously attempted to. Retreat? Now? They were practically on Sol's gateway! What was Grand Admiral Dozle thinking!?

On one hand, Lutjin, while obviously reluctant, could understand the command. Clearly they had taken far more losses than they had anticipated, and were unlikely to continue their drive for much longer. On the other hand however, a darker, much less desirable feeling began to weigh upon Lutjin. One that he feared was not so apparent with Grand Admiral Dozle.

Taking a moment to look out to the main monitor, Lutjin's mind pictured not so distant Earth, the capital world of the titular Federation. Once more for over three centuries, Earth had been Zeon's primary antagonist, from the days of Emperor Gwadan and Brian Aeno, as well as the centerpiece of the Inner Powers. More than Gaea or Sanc or Orb, Earth needed to be destroyed on every level. Militarily, politically, even culturally, it needed to be removed from existence wholesale. Only when that was accomplished would the galaxy be truly open to Zeon's dominance. Only then would the remainder of their enemies fall, one after the other.

At present, Zeon was now closer to Earth than it ever had been in the last several centuries, once more discounting the days of Emperor Gwadan. With but a single warp jump, they could reach Sol, and as beleaguered as they were, they could still accomplish what they set out for. They could still dictate Earth's complete unconditional surrender, or annihilate it straight away. If they could just last that much longer, the whole of the Earth Federation, Zeon's mortal enemy, would fall before them, never to rise again.

If they retreated now, how would they be able to do this again? How could they get this far toward the enemy stronghold, when it had already taken so much for them to be there now? How could they win if…?

"Admiral…?" the captain sounded, interrupting Lutjin's thoughts. Turning his eyes toward his subordinate, and then the rest of the bridge crew, he saw the uncertainty in all of them. And much more, as he turned toward the main monitor, he saw that several ships were already in the process of retreat, the most damaged being covered by those who could still put up a fight. The Imperial flagship _Gwadan_ was among the latter group, holding back a whole swathe of Feddie warships from closing in as the former ships began entering warp, one after the other.

Sighing audibly, Lutjin knew he had no choice. Now that the withdrawal was in motion, there could be no stopping it, even if he had the will to go against the Grand Admiral's direct orders. "Recall all mobile suits," he commanded. "All ships come about, all ahead full. Standby for warp."

Upon those commands, the _Rennec_'s bridge crew set back to work, the battlecruiser and the remains of its squadron coming about as mobile suits gradually made their way back to the waiting hangar bays. Once all remaining suits were aboard, the squadron flashed to warp. Leaving Arcturus, and Earth, behind in their collective wake.

* * *

**Zeon **_**Musaka**_**-class cruiser **_**Mistel**_**  
Warp**

"Goddammit!" Mallet somehow managed to bellow under his breath as his suit disengaged, the cockpit hatch opening in front of him. He was angry, angrier than he could remember in a long, long time. Whereas his special senses picked up a combination of emotions around him, exhaustion and fatigue being the most prominent, he only felt a burning rage inside himself. A rage that threatened to overwhelm him, and potentially those around him, lest he wrestle it under control.

They had failed, he knew. Failed to gain their strategic victory. Failed to capture or destroy Earth and the Federation with it. Failed to defeat the greatest of the Inner Powers, whose fall would have laid the foundation for the rest of the degenerates to follow. Failed to win the war.

No, he corrected himself as he exited his _Zaku_ and made his way down to the deck, his short grey hair glistening in the hangar light. They had not failed to win; victory was merely setback for some time yet. That in itself was painful, he admitted, but all was far from lost. Earth would exist for that much longer, and all throughout its denizens would do everything in their power to hinder Zeon's march, as would the other Inners around it. However, such was only a stay of execution, not a full pardon. There was still more reckoning to come.

No sooner than he touched down did one of the techs hand him a flask of water, which he took gratefully and sipped. The _Mistel's_ hangar was filled with battle weary, psyche-battered survivors. So much so that he could almost physically taste the collective fatigue, much to his irritation. No matter how superior, the human mind could only take so much before breaking, and the hours of fighting at Arcturus had done much in the way of breaking. How any of these fellow Zeon would recover from the battle, and the scars that had been inflicted upon them, was beyond him.

Compared to them however, Mallet Sanguine was a different and altogether _superior_ breed entirely. Not merely of physical superiority, but of spiritual superiority as well. He held power that no others could match, putting him well above his fellow highborn. As a result, once he was finished with his drink, he handed the now emptied flask to another nearby tech and then silently moved out of the hangar. Rage continuing to burn from within as he made his way to another space.

"In the end, we will yet triumph," he vowed to himself as he went. "In the end, Earth, no, the universe itself will burn."

* * *

**Zeon **_**Rewloola**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Rennec**_**  
Warp**

It was with utmost solemnity that Rear Admiral Johannes Lutjin settled back into his quarters. Now well away from the fighting and the Feddies, he allowed himself to relax and the strain to overtake him. And with that strain, the darkened thoughts he had held before.

For the briefest of moments, they had Earth, the stronghold of their enemies, within reach. For the briefest of moments, they were within mere lightyears of ending the war and all manner of resistance entirely. For that very same briefest of moments, they were set to secure complete and undeniable victory over the galaxy. And they had all let it slip away.

What had gone wrong? Why had they run away, when they should have been marching onward? He was sure he would find out in the after battle reports; somebody – or some people – on his side had made a critical mistake, the intercepting Federal Forces proving to be much stronger than anticipated, losses stacking up on the pyrrhic scale, all the usual excuses. It did not change the fact however; they had gotten closer to Earth than any could have ever hoped, and yet they had blinked. And now they were in retreat, while the Feddies, as beaten and battered as they were, would undoubtedly continue to fight. Thus denying victory, thus denying Zeon's ascendance.

Gritting his teeth at the thought, Lutjin reached into a cabinet and pulled out the much anticipated glass and bottle. He had originally saved this particular brandy for when they had finally gained the Federation's surrender, but under the circumstances he supposed he could have it a little earlier. No, this was not the end, he resolved. This would not be the last time he, and the rest of Zeon with him, would come this far. Arcturus may have been wrestled away from them, but Earth and its lowborn agitators remained out there, and so long as they did, they would remain the primary obstacle to supremacy. An obstacle that Lutjin himself would see removed one way or the other.

"Sieg Zeon," he murmured as he raised his glass to the air, and then took the much needed drink.


	2. Chapter II: An Unexpected Venture

"_In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves... self-discipline with all of them came first."  
_\- Harry S. Truman

**Chapter II: An Unexpected Venture**

**Herod III  
October 3, GC 379**

Putting all his effort into dodging and maneuvering, Lieutenant Junior Grade Amuro Ray, the White Devil and pilot of _Gundam Unit Alpha_, jetted with his suit's back to the desert terrain, firing his rifle in return as further magenta beams rained against him. For the life of him he could not remember having to work so hard to dodge enemy fire; even his Newtype powers were providing him little help against this particular foe. In fact, it wasn't long before he was forced to employ _both_ of his beam shields to deflect two or three shots that would have easily struck his cockpit block, to which he responded with a follow up vulcan burst. That seemed to dissuade his foe, from further pursuit – at least for the next few seconds – though two more beam shots were fired for effect. It was only then Amuro was able to right his _Gundam_, its massive feet touching and grating upon the orange soil below, and reorient to meet his foe head on.

No sooner than he did, the blood red and black triplet to his mobile suit – the enlarged silver 'A' and perched hawk proudly displayed on its left shoulder – blasted its thrusters and surged directly at him, reaching out with its right gauntlet. At first Amuro attempted to raise his beam shield again, only for the opposing _Gundam_ to make a small power jump up and over, to which it stamped its right foot upon the top of the white mobile suit's head. Letting out a snarl as he nearly lost his footing, Amuro twisted around and again fired off his vulcans, but his adversary was faster and easily ascended over the spray, right before elegantly turning about and landing some distance away. Its neon yellow eyes gazing back toward its white brethren somehow chidingly, as though echoing the amusement of its pilot.

_Pathetic,_ Lieutenant Junior Grade Sayla Mass, the Valkyrie of Riah and pilot of _Gundam Unit Gamma_, commented over their Newtype link in mock disappointment. She smirked dominantly as she watched the man that all of Zeon feared and trembled before struggle before her. _Is this really all you're capable of Amuro Ray? This paltry display?_

Despite the strain he felt from being trounced on, seemingly from all over, Amuro couldn't help but smirk himself. Once again he couldn't remember the last time he had fought so hard, not even against the Zeon. Every bit of his body was thoroughly strained from their seemingly endless bout, and he could somehow feel his _Gundam_ had been put through the ringer as well. At the same time however, he could also tell his opponent was also struggling to stay ahead of him. That he was actually pushing the Valkyrie of Riah in turn.

_Hardly,_ Amuro also proclaimed through his Newtype power, deciding then was the time to step things up. _In fact, I'm only getting started!_

With an ease of motion he had long since developed with his machine, he stowed its beam rifle and drew its right beam saber, the magenta energy blade igniting in a fraction of a second. From there, Amuro stood ready for a more direct confrontation.

Now Sayla was even more amused, such that _Unit Gamma_'s head tilted in seeming response. _Oh? You want to try your hand that way?_ she chimed, interest piqued. _Surely you're aware of my skill in close quarters…_

_Damn right I am, and I do!_ Amuro responded back, the eagerness in his voice outweighing his tension. Everyone aboard the _Ark Royal_ knew of Sayla's skill with a beam saber; in fact, compared to him and Commander Law, she was probably the best at melee combat in general. Yet that made fighting her with a blade even more attractive. _Let's do this Valkyrie of Riah!_

Another laugh, followed by _Unit Gamma_ drawing its own blade. _Well said,_ Sayla praised, then raising her sword in a duelist's salute, much like what Garma Zabi had done on Anges. _Have at me White Devil!_

Matching her salute, Amuro then espoused a telepathic battle cry as he launched _Unit Alpha_ at full burn. It wasn't long before both magenta sabers clashed, energy flickering between them as they continually struck one another or the opposite _Gundam_'s shielding, the two mobile suits dancing through the air and the ruin strewn landscape. Not one seemed able to quite dominate the other just yet, but the fight between two of the Earth Federation's top aces had only just begun.

All while the spectators, both from the sidelines and well above, watched with ever present interest.

* * *

_They really are something, aren't they?_ Commander Sleggar Law, the Eagle of Arcturus and pilot of _Gundam Unit Beta_, mused to himself as he watched the action from within his steed along the sidelines. It really was a spectacular show, two cutting edge mobile suits piloted by two of the best Earth had to offer going against one another, bringing about their respective skills and the full powers of their respective _Gundams_. Even more was the fact that, though it was as apparent, they were also using their more unique powers through their contest, fighting on a plane that very few of humanity could comprehend. Sleggar was very much among the latter, but that didn't stop him from enjoying the show.

Continuing to track as the two _Gundams_ each dueled with their sabers, the Commander could not help but let out a very discreet sigh. For perhaps the first time he could ever think of, he wished he were a Newtype himself. Usually he found the concept of "spiritual empowerment" to be a pain in the ass and more a hindrance than anything else, but just watching Amuro and Sayla go against one another like that was enough for him to wish he had that power as well. He could only imagine the things they "saw" and comprehended; things that the normal five senses could never pick upon. Especially in the mock battle they were having now, which was as much a contest of will and spirit as it was skill and endurance. And that was before one added on the more _personal_ connection that had grown between the two aces, which Sleggar had seen emerge since the aftermath of Jericho and develop through the course of the war.

In any case, it seemed their little side trip was really worth the time and effort after all. Though a field exercise between two mobile suits was probably not the best course of action to take within enemy territory, Sayla had argued her case well enough, namely that traditional simulation would be inadequate for a fight between two Newtypes. Besides the fact that no simulator could ever truly keep up with a Newtype pilot, there was also the fact that the pilots in question would be unable to use their special senses effectively, since there was only the interior of the _Ark Royal_'s hangar outside their cockpits. Thus it was necessary for the two aces to duel in realtime, on an actual planet, albeit one as far away from the eyes of Zeon and its cohorts as possible. Fortunately Herod III fit that line as, outside some sparse ruins from an apparent colonization attempt or two, the world was little than another sprawling wasteland to blight the Milky Way Galaxy. The perfect battleground for a duel between the White Devil and the Valkyrie of Riah.

By that point the two _Gundams_ had moved over a nearby set of ruins, which might have been an actual space colony once upon a time. They were still fighting with their beam sabers, with the occasional vulcan burst and gauntlet attack thrown in, but now they were flitting between the wreckage, trying to outmaneuver one another and gain that "killing" stroke. Neither of them had made any serious headway since their fight had begun, which made sense given that they were both experienced pilots of ace caliber, with similar machines and abilities to boot. However, from Sleggar's perspective, Sayla had a little bit more of an edge, given that she had more battle experience than Amuro, and again out of the three of them she was the best at melee level. Still, that didn't mean Amuro wasn't giving her a run for her money; he had grown much from the mere "test pilot" that the _Ark Royal_ had picked up at Shangri-La.

Taking his eyes off the battle momentarily to look above, Sleggar wondered if his fellows aboard the _Ark Royal_ thought the same. Surely they were watching it all from higher orbit themselves. In fact, it was probably the most entertainment they had all had since their being sent on the original "milk run".

* * *

**Federation **_**Lexington**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Herod III**

"Goddamn," Karen murmured as she and the rest of Shrike Squadron, if not the rest of the 13th Carrier Assault Group and everyone else aboard the _Ark Royal_, watched the action live. "I wish I could move like that in a dogfight."

"Hell, I wish I could move like that _period_, even outside my _Guncannon_," Sanders whispered back to her, right as _Unit Gamma_ executed a bifurcating swipe, only for _Unit Alpha_ to reverse at the precise second. "No wonder the Zeeks are so scared shitless of them."

"I don't know Lieutenants, it doesn't look much like a fight from my end," Kai added on, eyeing the fight with his usual, if rightly applied in the present, skepticism. "In fact, I'd say it's pretty damn close to the opposite end."

That earned a few rolled eyes from those who overheard. Indeed, the way the two _Gundams_ were going at the each other was less like a traditional duel and more like a waltz. More than a few of the gathered couldn't help but notice that, as well as a certain intimacy that the suits seemed to reflect from their pilots.

Fraw, who was present alongside, was naturally among them. As she herself continued to watch over the mockfight, and the two _Gundams_ dancing through the atmosphere below, she could not help but visibly and deeply frown. All while the weight within her – the same one that had first come upon her aboard the _La Vie en Rose_ – seemed to grow…

* * *

Banking away from _Unit Alpha_'s next slash, Sayla proceeded to fire her vulcans to buy herself some maneuvering room, then banking around the moment the white _Gundam_ raised its left arm shield. She then proceeded to cut at its back, but Amuro was fast enough to deflect with his right shield, and then counterslash, to which Sayla was just able to reverse at the right moment. Amuro pursued however, executing several more attacks that the Valkyrie dodged, right before being forced to parry the last. Both magenta blades remained locked for several more moments, and then both _Gundams_ simultaneously broke away, though Amuro was faster in the draw at firing his vulcans. Not that it really mattered, as Sayla was more than able to dodge and continue through the ruined battleground.

_I see you have improved,_ Sayla observed as she traded further slashes and parries with Amuro, alternating between dodging and deflecting his attacks in her usual graceful fashion and then counterattacking accordingly. _Not at all like that whelp from Shangri-La, who pitched quite the fit when he was called into battle._

_Do you really have to bring that up?_ Amuro complained as he darted away from her counterstroke, firing his vulcans in return only for Sayla to bank away again. The resultant beam spray neatly impacted against the side of what appeared to be a colony fragment, during which Sayla launched upward, attempting to cut her opponent down from overhead. Amuro deflected this as well, raising his right shield as Sayla lunged up and over, and then twisting around to intercept her follow up attack. _I like to think I've come a long way from that._

_As I just said, you have,_ Sayla retorted, right as she evaded his next impale attempted, and then the following sweep. She then darted back, shifting around another piece of wreckage, before moving around again and striking against _Unit Alpha_'s right shield. Amuro naturally countered against this as well, throwing aside her saber blade and then slashing his against her side, but Sayla easily evaded this as well. _Though you still retain your flaws._

Despite the intent of the jab, Amuro allowed himself to smirk. _We'll see about that. _

With that he gunned his thrusters and launched _Unit Alpha_ forward, attempting to catch Sayla off guard with a point blank charge. Though he was partially successful, the Valkyrie's reflexes, further augmented by _Unit Gamma's_ special system, kicked in nonetheless, allowing her to dodge the oncoming slash attack, and then retaliate with her vulcans against _Unit Alpha's_ then exposed back. Fortunately Amuro was fast enough to bring about his left shield to deflect the burst, and then evade the following gauntlet attack. Rather than counter straight on however, the White Devil chose to move around further debris, with the Valkyrie giving chase.

Again they maneuvered around the ruins, clashing with their blades off and on as they flew. It was a strangely elegant display, the two _Gundams_ maintaining their elaborate waltz as either ace brought forth the whole of their respective skills and battle experience, trying overcome the other's blade while evading or defending with their shields in equal fashion. This in turn was punctuated by the occasional usage of their beam vulcans and gauntlets, which ensured that the battle would not be strictly a fencing match, as well as their taking advantage of the field obstructions to hold their adversary back or by some temporary distance. All while the surreal powers of either Newtype pilot were on full display.

Eventually Amuro launched around another great fragment, only to twist _Unit Alpha_ about and reverse as Sayla once again pursued. Again this caught his opponent partially off guard, but Sayla remained more than able to raise her shield to deflect the oncoming slash, and then fire another vulcan burst to force Amuro back on the defensive. Both blades soon met again thereafter, both _Gundams_ attacking and defending in equal fashion as they danced through the air as only two weapons of war, piloted by two warriors of equal skill and supernatural power, could accomplish.

_Still think I'm so flawed!?_ Amuro question as their blades again locked, sweat and tension now over his face. As exhilarating as their fight was, it was safe to say he was nearing the breaking point now. Only against Char and Garma, as well as Sleggar whenever they had their mockfights, had he fought so hard. And yet the Valkyrie of Riah was so different from any of them.

Sayla herself couldn't help but feel much the same, emphasized by the combination of strain and zeal that she felt from all over. Whether he liked it or not or whether he was even aware of his full power or not, Amuro Ray really was the White Devil, the harbinger of death to all of Zeon. It was no wonder Garma and her brother, two of the highest accomplished aces in the Empire, could barely hold their own against him. Even without invoking his Newtype potential, Amuro was a force to be reckoned with.

But not one that could not be beaten. _Very much so!_

Breaking the blade lock, Sayla, taking advantage of her _Gundam_'s weightlessness, angled her suit up, bringing its right leg squarely against _Unit Alpha_'s side. Though Amuro raised his beam shield to deflect, the surprise attack was more than enough to dishevel him, thereby allowing Sayla to charge in with her left gauntlet raised to strike. Again Amuro deflected, this time with his opposite shield, but Sayla had intended that. The resultant force may have not been enough to overcome the beam shield, but it did send the white _Gundam_ flying back, impacting back first against another large fragment.

By the time Amuro was able to shake himself out of his daze, he saw _Unit Gamma_ standing over him, saber angled straight at his suit's faceplate.

_And the superior wins._ Sayla chimed as she stored her blade and reached out to pull Amuro's suit out of the rubble. _You have come far Amuro Ray, but you still have much to learn._

Shaking her head from the daze, Amuro couldn't help but smirk. _And I suppose you're the one to teach me?_

_If you would still have me,_ Sayla retorted, rather teasingly if Amuro wasn't mistaken. Again he felt that specific pressure – the same one he felt off and on from Fraw – emerge from within the Valkyrie's soul.

_Heh, you know the answer to that,_ Amuro responded, the two pilots' eyes meeting through their respective mobile suit cameras. For that one moment, time and space seemed to slip away, as though it were only they in the universe. Naturally it didn't last too long.

"My compliments kids, that was one helluva show," Sleggar spoke as _Unit Beta_ came flying up. Both _Unit Alpha_ and _Unit Gamma_ turned toward their blue sibling as the Commander went on. "Not sure what the odds were, but I'm sure quite a few boys and girls upstairs made a fair buck off of you Shrike Two."

"Some of that better go to the winner," Sayla stated, both to Sleggar and whoever else was listening from the _Ark Royal_.

"That can be arranged," Sleggar confirmed, before turning to Amuro. "Not that you did too badly yourself Shrike Three. Though you may want to remember that mobile suits can fight hand-to-hand as well, not just with rifles and sabers."

Though somewhat embarrassed that he had, in fact, forgotten that fact, Amuro nonetheless nodded in acknowledgment. "I'll do well to keep that in mind in the future, sir."

"Good," Sleggar responded in turn. Like Sayla, he too saw how far Amuro came from the whiney brat of a Federal officer they had taken off of Shangri-La. Assuming the kid chose to remain in the EFSF – as well as survived – he was well on his way toward a bright future indeed. To say nothing of what he clearly had going on with Sayla.

"Anyway, I think we've all had our fun for the day," Sleggar said. "So how about we head back to the barn and…"

"Standby Shrike Leader," Kikka's voice entered in, causing all three _Gundam_ pilots to flinch from its alarm. "We're picking up intermittent signals coming in from warp."

* * *

**Federation **_**Lexington**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Herod III**

"Are they Zeon?" Mirai asked as she and Bright both prepared for the worst. In spite of their "side trip", they were still very much within enemy space. On the other hand, as expansive enemy space was, it should have been very difficult for the Zeeks to find them, even if their ship was a Trojan Horse. So how?

"Negative ma'am," Omar answered, almost sighing in relief as he then reported. "They're ours, or so the IFF claims."

"Standby," Bright responded, still prepared for the worst. It wouldn't be out of character for the Zeon, or any of the other Outer forces, to come charging in under false IFF. It all came down to what happened at that last possible second.

Sure enough, twelve Earth ships did indeed revert for warp, directly off of the _Ark Royal_'s portside. And though they were in formation, their weapons remained inactive while the newcomers simply remained in place, as though observing the lone carrier.

"Nine _Chicago_-class cruisers and three _Montana_-class battlecruisers," Omar announced. His face then brightened as he added. "The lead ship is the _Magellan_."

"Wakkein," Mirai spoke up in astonished relief. As much as she was happy to see an ally, especially one that they knew well, she already had a feeling that this would not be a social visit. A sentiment that Bright very much shared.

Kikka then spoke the inevitable. "_Magellan_ signaling. It's the Admiral."

"Onscreen," Bright could only command.

A moment later, the Admiral's visage appeared on the main monitor. "Captain Noa, Commander Yashima," Wakkein greeted, to which Bright and Mirai both nodded. "Despite present circumstances, it's good to see you and the _Ark Royal_ are all still alive and fighting."

"The feeling's mutual Admiral," Bright responded. "Though I suspect you didn't come all this way for a chat, especially with that taskforce."

Wakkein rubbed the back of his head there. "Actually, that's part of why we've stopped by," he replied. "To fill you in before Operation Bismarck is put into motion."

Before Bright could inquire on that, Wakkein spoke again, this time with a far more serious tone. "You and Commander Yashima better come aboard the _Magellan_. We'll direct Commander Law to join us as well."

The Admiral's eyes narrowed as he then said. "This is a big one Bright, and I'm going to need all the help I can get for it."

"Namely ours," Bright surmised.

"Precisely," Wakkein answered. "See you when you get here," he finished with, the comlink soon dropping.

* * *

**Federation **_**Montana**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Magellan**_**  
Herod III**

Indeed within a few minutes' timespan, a shuttle ferried Bright and Mirai to the _Magellan_ while Sleggar touched down in the battlecruiser's hangar with _Unit Beta_. From there, it was only another short trip as a yeoman led the trio to the Admiral's wardroom. However, upon the door shifting open, all three officers realized the Admiral would not be the only one present.

"Thank you all for coming," Wakkein opened with, returning the trio's salute upon execution. Standing beside him was a very attractive woman with short blonde hair, the rank tabs of her uniform presenting her as a Lieutenant Commander. "I apologize for the short notice, but as I told you, this is a big one and we couldn't risk long-range communications."

"We understand sir," Bright assured, then looking toward the woman. "And you are?"

"Lieutenant Commander Alice Miller," the blonde woman introduced herself casually. "I'm from Space Force Intelligence."

_Why does that not bring my hopes up?_ Sleggar thought as the introductions went on. Once that was all finished, the five took their respective seats around a nearby center table. "So, I take it we're not heading to Fortuna for the weekend?"

"Unfortunately not," Wakkein replied almost sympathetically. "Rather, our destination is the Zorres System."

Immediately all three heads shot up in attention. Not only was Zorres even deeper in enemy territory than they were now, but it was also the location of a rather expansive set of shipyards and other production facilities. Not a place where Bright would have wanted to take the _Ark Royal_, especially for a weekend excursion.

"Dare we ask why?" Mirai spoke up, already having a sinking feeling toward this operation.

Wakkein nodded before turning the intel officer. "Commander?"

Miller immediately took her cue. "Not too long ago, our agent in Zorres reported sighting a very specific ship entering the system. We have since lost contact with that agent, but their last transmission contained an image of the ship in question."

At that, the table's holoprojector engaged, generating an image that caused Bright, Mirai and Sleggar to look on in simultaneous dread and astonishment. There, in pure holographic clarity, was the most peculiar looking Zeon ship any of them had seen. Not one that held the angular, almost organic structuring seen on the _Musaka_ or _Rewloola_ classes, but rather a more rectangular design that looked ungainly yet powerful enough. More importantly however were the innumerable gun emplacements that dotted her hull, as well as the line of ports – obviously launch catapults and accompanying hangar decks – that dotted her underbelly. A great titanic beast of a warship.

"Is that…?" Mirai somehow managed to breath out as she at last realized what she and the her ship were all about to face.

"Yes Commander," Miller nodded grimly. "The _Dolowa_."

Bright resisted the urge to swallow, but it took considerable effort on his part. Even before the war began, there had been rumors circulating around Space Force about a massive Zeon supercarrier; a single ship that held the firepower and force projection of an entire fleet. Though such a ship had never been sighted in battle, much less reported to actually exist, those rumors had persisted long into the present, punctuated by Emperor Gihren's known fascination with the arcane and his sponsoring of various "wonderweapon" projects. Now it seemed there had indeed been truth to those claims, and he, Sleggar and Mirai were about to face it head on.

"We've suspected her actual existence for some time, as there were plenty of mentionings of her within the Imperial hierarchy, but only now has she been 'officially' confirmed to be out there," Miller continued, herself observing the projected image with concealed dread.

"Any idea why the enemy is bringing her out this late into the war?" Bright inquired.

"Nothing solid, but it is believed that her development and production have been protracted, for obvious reasons," Miller answered.

"Which would explain why she is at Zorres," Sleggar summarized. "She's fitting out."

"Our conclusion as well," Miller concurred. "Beside this, we also believe she is taking on her mobile suit force, of which total estimates reach well into the hundreds if not thousands," she let that settle in with the group before proceeding. "This combined with her sheer level of firepower makes her destruction _eminently_ essential to Earth's interests."

It was then Wakkein entered back in. "Suffice to say we cannot afford to let that monster on the loose, especially not before or god forbid _during_ Operation Odessa. She needs to be taken out here and now."

Wakkein's mentioning of Fleet Admiral Revil's upcoming assault on the titular world – which all three knew could very well change the course of the war – only emphasized the seriousness of the threat posed by the _Dolowa_. And much more the necessity of her sinking.

"And we are going to exactly that, while she is still in dock," Wakkein stated, the holoprojector then switching from the _Dolowa_'s projection to a starmap of the Zorres System. So began the briefing Operation Bismarck.

* * *

**Zeon supercarrier **_**Dolowa**_**  
Zorres Shipyards**

"Preparations are being completed as we speak Your Majesty," Captain Ezo Lindermann reported as he stood before the holographic image of his Emperor. "In just a few hours' time, the _Dolowa_ will be ready to sail."

"Very good Captain," Gihren replied in acknowledgement, quite pleased at the aspect of his (current) principle weapon at last entering the war. Much time, as well as resources, had gone into the mighty supercarrier's construction and procurement, but in the end she would be ready. The force of an entire battlefleet, condensed into a single vessel.

The Emperor looked between Lindermann and the other man that stood before him. "You now command the largest, most powerful warship to grace this war. A vessel that surpasses even the Imperial flagship in sheer strength, and is assuredly superior to anything our enemies may have."

The captain could not help but gleam at this, while the one beside him remained forwardly stoic.

"But do not assume yourself immortal or invincible," the Emperor went on. "The enemy will make every effort to fight you, and even as magnificent a ship as this can be destroyed, albeit through considerable effort."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Vice Admiral Johannes Lutjin answered in understanding. "For all of her power and greatness, the _Dolowa_ can only do so much." _Especially on her own as you wish her to be._

In spite of that thought, the Admiral remained adhering, at least partially. "Even so, that power and greatness will be more than enough to eradicate the lowborn of Earth."

"In due time Admiral," Gihren replied almost exhaustively, as though he had to remind Lutjin. While he supported the Admiral's ultimate objective in accomplishing what had been denied to them at Arcturus – which the Emperor admitted could just be possible now – there was still work to be done before that. "For the moment, you will content yourself to my original command."

"Of course sire," Lutjin replied, hoping he didn't sound put off by the rebuttal. "I have no desire to do otherwise."

Regardless, Gihren looked upon the Vice Admiral with apparent sympathy. "I understand how much you wish to avenge yourself Johannes. Arcturus was a bitter outcome for all of us."

Lutjin said nothing to this, allowing his Emperor to continue. "Nonetheless, we have no choice but to leave Earth untouched for the moment. It is more essential that you locate and destroy Abraham Revil and his fleet, before they can launch their offensive."

"If I may Your Majesty," Lindermann spoke up again, hoping he didn't sound too dubious. "How sure are we that this offensive is indeed in the making?"

"Quite sure Captain, for it comes from one of the highest of sources," Gihren answered. "Fleet Admiral Revil is concentrating a considerable amount of his forces toward a focal point. One that he hopes will shift the war to Earth's favor."

He then grinned in utmost conspiracy. "That focal point is Odessa."

Again neither Lutjin nor Lindermann said anything to this.

"Though it would be a simple matter to intercept and repulse him and his lowborn miscreants on the day of their reckoning, I wish not to take any further undue risks," Gihren continued, shaking his head. "No, it is best that we end everything early on, before the Earthnoids can gather in strength."

"I agree Your Majesty," Lutjin concurred, then musing to himself. "Admiral Revil is undoubtedly pulling ships from many fronts to make up this combined fleet. The minimal requirements to capture of Odessa alone would warrant a great amount of ships, mobile suits and personnel, potentially more than our forces there could ever handle."

"To be exact, almost thirty percent of the EFSF is going into Operation Odessa," Gihren smiled knowingly. "And though I put little stock in the Earthnoids' capabilities, they could quite possibly overwhelm our defenses and take that world through sheer brute force." _To say nothing of the _Ark Royal_ and those three possibly joining the battle._

"On the other hand, if such a force were to be destroyed at once, then Earth would never recover," Gihren's smile once more took on a predatory emphasis. "And our own forces would be uncontested upon our return to Arcturus."

Though he did his best to hide it, certain anticipation welled up in Lutjin toward that. The mere possibility of a renewed invasion of Earth was enough to convince him, as though his Emperor's words weren't enough.

"Yes gentlemen, there is much glory to be had through you voyage," Gihren smiled with his own anticipation now. "Once the Old Man of the Federation and his lowborn rabble are destroyed, Zeon will at last be triumphant, for the whole of the galaxy will truly lay open before us."

"We will not fail you, Your Majesty," Lindermann resolved, his voice crystal clear with focus and assurance.

"No you won't Captain," Gihren responded similarly. "Wherever the _Dolowa_ may sail, let the stars and planets tremble before her, and you."

Upon that declaration, Gihren at last finished. _"Sieg Zeon."_

"_Sieg Zeon!"_ both Lutjin and Lindermann recited to their Emperor, now more determined than ever to see through their liege's will. Only then did the communique drop and Emperor Gihren's image vanish.

* * *

**Federation **_**Lexington**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Warp**

"Upon entering the system, all mobile suits will launch immediately," Sleggar continued to brief his pilots, who were giving rapt attention. "Our objective is to clear a path for the taskforce as well as prevent the enemy mobile suits from reaching them. Since the shipyards happen to be critical to the Zeeks' infrastructure, you can bet they will be heavily defended. Expect _Zakus_ to be crawling out of the metalwork, to say nothing of other nasty surprise the 'highborn' turds may throw our way."

To say that the atmosphere within the pilots' briefing room was intense would have been the topmost of all understatements. After having just barely survived Anges, only to enter battle during their "downtime" at J-292 not too long ago, it seemed that the brass back home on Earth were intent on throwing the _Ark Royal_ and her mobile suits into the fire once again. The fact their target was the largest, most powerful warship the Zeeks had to offer – which alone had a mobile suit carrying capacity equivalent to an entire battlefleet of _Lexingtons_ – helped even less. Despite that however, the pilots of the 13th Carrier Assault Group listened in with utmost intent.

"Shrike and Warhound will act as the vanguard, Gauntlet and Thunderbolt will cover the flanks, and the squadrons from the _Magellan_ and the rest will fall in that line. As usual, the _Gundams_ will lead the charge and dishevel the enemy formations, which should make them easy pickings from then on. Coordinated fire is key in this type of setup, so stay close to your teammates at all times. Likewise, as this is target is well away from the frontlines, it's highly doubtful they will have any aces like Aznable or Ridden or Matsunaga present, but don't take that as a guarantee. If you see any _Zakus_ that are not standard green out there, engage only where necessary."

A sudden point then lit up on the display behind him. "Once the taskforce enters firing range, it will bombard the shipyards with nuclear missiles," Sleggar didn't need to look up to see the whole room flinch at that mentioning. "Which, assuming all enemy suits and interception units are cleared, will obliterate the shipyards and anything within it. Again, for all of her immensity, we at least assume the _Dolowa_ to be a conventional warship and therefore sinkable, especially by nukes. If we can remove a key Zeek installation in the process, then so much the better."

"Won't that destruction affect Zorres Prime?" Sanders inquired, noticing the close proximity that the planet in question had to the shipyards.

"Collateral damage is a possibility, but as I'm sure you can all agree, this is a chance we have no choice but to take," Sleggar answered, earning several concurring nods from his pilots. In this case, nobody was about the risk the target escaping destruction, even if it meant potential civilian casualties. "Once the _Dolowa_ is confirmed destroyed, and assuming the taskforce is still there, we will RTS and depart from whence we came. With any luck, this will all be done before the Zeeks are able to call reinforcements from the outside. Questions?"

Karen raised her hand. "What should happen if the _Dolowa_ launches before the taskforce reaches the firing point? Or, god forbid, she takes part in the system's defense?"

The CAG shrugged. "Then I guess the nukes will be fired off much earlier," he said simply, as though it were obvious. "And if not that, then I imagine we'll make a break for it then and there."

He gazed out to the whole of the assault group. "Make no mistake, the _Dolowa _was designed to engage whole fleets on her own, so our 'mere' thirteen ships cannot hope to fight her in direct combat. Besides having a mobile suit carrying capacity well within the hundreds, she also possesses dreadnought level armor and firepower, which is part of the reason why the taskforce will be bombarding her with nukes instead of standard missiles or beam cannons."

The Commander then turned toward the tactical image of the supercarrier. "Just a single barrage from her main guns would be enough to wipe out our ships, and she would not even have to launch a third of her mobile suits to deal with us."

Though they knew Sleggar was really referring to the _Guncannon_ teams in that regard, Amuro and Sayla could not help but feel it would take more than that to do either of them in. After all, hadn't they fought far more numerous enemies at Jericho? Even so, neither _Gundam_ pilot said anything as their leader continued.

"Thus I reiterate, Operation Bismarck is strictly hit and run," Sleggar at last stated. "We hit them with everything we got and then we run. No heroics, no unnecessary risks, and I sure as hell want everyone to return alive and in one piece, even if their suit isn't."

Again gazing across the briefing room, the Commander looked for any sign of dissent. When he found none, he nodded in satisfaction before checking his wristcom. "Right, we reach Zorres at approximately 1700 hours. I suggest you use your time wisely from here on. Dismissed!"

* * *

**Zeon supercarrier **_**Dolowa**_**  
Zorres Shipyards**

"Over eighty percent of our mobile suits are now aboard Admiral," the lieutenant reported dutifully. "The remaining twenty percent will be loaded within the next hour."

"Good," Lutjin acknowledged as he remained behind his desk, looking over another report from a datapad in hand. It had taken much longer than he had hoped – which he supposed he should have expected given the sheer size of the ship – but at least their schedule had not been compromised. One more hour and they would finally be among the stars. "We're nearing the fated time at last. Is it not so Captain?"

"It is sir," Lindermann answered without missing a beat.

Dismissing the Lieutenant thereafter, Lutjin turned around and placed the datapad back on his desktop. The Admiral's expression was indeed one of thoughtfulness. "It took quite a long time, but it seems this ship will finally be able to sail and take its awaited part in the war."

"Yes sir," Lindermann again recited.

Lutjin could not help but smile at the captain's relative stiffness. "You can be open with me as you wish Lindermann," he assured. "You have long earned that right."

After watching the captain relax somewhat, Lutjin continued. "Having said that, what do you think of His Majesty's earlier words?"

Lindermann did well not to shrug. "He seems very assured that Revil and his combined fleet are out there," he answered. "And that they are poised to strike at Odessa at any time."

"Yes, I know," Lutjin answered back, doing well himself not to wave his flag captain off. "And he is probably right. We've been seeing all sorts of indications that the Feddies are preparing for a big move somewhere, though how he knows it to be Odessa is beyond me."

"His Majesty's words and wisdom are beyond most, Admiral," Lindermann did not miss a beat.

Lutjin actually laughed at that. Lindermann had spoken it so straight faced it would have been quite difficult to tell that he was being facetious. Somewhat anyway.

"Admittedly I understand the urgency of his command," Lutjin went on, activating a display screen behind him that showed a large swathe of the galaxy. "Though we could easily continue the war without Odessa, it is still a critical strategic point for our empire. The Feddies' victory would be well earned should they wrestle it away from us, to say nothing of its effects on the war at large."

Lutjin then frowned. "But even so, at the risk of sound treasonous," he dared speak, as the captain was the only other in the room. "I believe His Majesty is making a potential mistake sending this ship on such an assignment, at least by herself."

Lindermann remained silent to this. Nodding his appreciation, Lutjin rose from his seat. "Do not mistake me Captain, I do not question our Emperor's insight nor his intentions. However, I fear that even with the _Dolowa_ and all that she can muster, we may end up biting off more than we can chew."

"Would you rather we take her directly to Earth, Admiral?" Lindermann inquired. There was no rebuke in his tone, just a simple curiosity.

Again Lutjin laughed. "Does my reputation precede me so much Lindermann?"

"To a degree sir," Lindermann answered. "As His Majesty stated, our defeat at Arcturus was a bitter outcome. However, not many within Zeon believe it to be as great a loss as you do."

Lutjin nodded in understanding. "Perhaps I have been too open about the subject," he admitted as well. "I know many believe my opinions to be of _personal_ nature. And they too are probably right."

The Admiral exhaled. "Even so, it does not change the fact that we were only a stone's throw away from Earth, and we chose to run at the last moment."

"If I may sir," Lindermann spoke up again. "Why are you so fixated on Earth and its bastard federation? Certainly they are a powerful adversary, but hardly the only one we are facing."

Lutjin actually smiled to this. "That is where you are wrong Captain," he stated. "Earth is not merely _a_ powerful adversary. It is our _most_ powerful adversary."

With that, he switched the display to show the planet in question. "Though it has not had as much luck against us as Sanc or Orb, Earth is still the leading Inner Power, as well as the most dangerous."

The Admiral could not help but glare toward the digitized image of the blue and green planet. "The Earthnoids are an unruly yet innovative people, even for lowborn scum. Though we caught them off guard when the war began, they have managed to hinder us on nearly every front if not stop us altogether in key areas. Even more, their will to fight and win is possibly the closest humanity has ever reached toward eternal."

He turned away from the image in distaste. "It would be a simple matter for us to conquer the likes of Gaea, Freeden or Soleil. The war would continue regardless, but we would have removed key players from the game, which would indeed help us in the long run."

When his eyes met Lindermann's, the captain did well not to shirk at their intensity. "But if we were to conquer Earth, we would win the war then and there, because no other world or race would stand against us from then on."

Lindermann said nothing to this, though Lutjin could pick up traces of dubiousness in his expression. Smirking, the Vice Admiral moved to a nearby liquor cabinet, where he produced two glasses and a bottle of fine brandy.

"And that is what I intend to do Captain," Lutjin stated as he poured the almost crystal liquid into either glass. "Whether with this ship or a great battle fleet at my control, I intend to one day finish what we started at failed Arcturus, once and for all."

"As you say sir," Lindermann replied in seeming understanding. Though he was still unsure whether Earth was as critical as his superior claimed, the captain nonetheless saw that the Vice Admiral wholly believed his own words. God, assuming one was out there, help them if they were to be true. "For what it is worth, I would like to be there with you on that day."

Lutjin smiled that much more to this. "I will keep that well in mind Lindermann," he acknowledged, both then raising their glasses. _"Zum Wohl!"_ Lutjin then declared, both taking their respective drink.

* * *

The latest test simulation at last concluded, Lieutenant Commander Mallet Sanguine watched patiently as the cockpit hatch opened in front of him, allowing his exit. He had to admit, even though he had yet to take his machine out in actual battle, it had grown on him immensely since he had received it. Surely no other mobile suit could hope to match such sheer performance, such power. Even his old basic _Zaku_ could never hope to compare to his new steed.

On the other hand, as he looked up at his mobile suit's dimmed mono-eye, he couldn't help but feel how out of place it was with the mobile suits around it. Whereas the _Zaku_ was generally big and bulky, his mobile suit was somewhat sleeker and more streamlined, as though its very form was meant to generate sheer mobility. Not that that didn't make sense; from what he understood, much of this suit's internal structuring and equipment had been based on Feddie technology – adapted and upgraded through Zeon ingenuity of course – and the exterior certainly looked like it. Still, such an odd duckling of a mobile suit was more than fitting for someone like him.

_Especially when I at last take it against the Feddies,_ Mallet thought with a violent glimmer in his eyes. His thoughts must have been quite visible, as he could feel certain apprehension from the techs and other pilots around him. Well, no matter, they were inferiors to him anyway. They might have held similar physical strength as he, but that hardly mattered compared to his _spiritual_ strength. A power that they could never hope to understand, much less obtain for themselves, even if Ascension turned out to be truth.

"Commander!" a new, young voice called out from the side.

Smirking to himself, Mallet turned to meet his two subordinates, a young man and woman. Both wore Lieutenant Junior Grade tabs on their uniforms, though beyond that, the woman emanated a specific pressure that he did well to notice.

"The ship is just about finished fitting out sir," Lieutenant Junior Grade Gusta Piper announced. "They're loading the last of the mobile suits now."

"Excellent. About time we got out of here," Mallet responded, looking toward the other _Zakus_ in the hangar. "Damn did this trip take far too long."

"It can't be helped sir," Lieutenant Junior Grade Lilia Flaubert added on. "I'm actually surprised they got this many mobile suits loaded so quickly. Surely we have more _Zakus_ aboard than there are guarding the shipyards."

"Yes," Mallet feigned agreement. _More fodder for the enemy at least._ "In any case, it won't be much longer before we see action again. And with a vessel and force like this, I imagine it will be quite intense."

He then looked toward his two fellow Zeon carefully. "I trust this will not be an issue for either of you?"

"Of course not sir!" Gusta recited at once. "Where the Emperor commands us, Esser Squadron will go!"

"Good," Mallet nodded before turning to Lilia. _And where I go, you shall follow. Is that clear?_

_Yes sir,_ Lilia confirmed with the same special sense that she shared with her superior. Such was the foundation of their bond, which surpassed anything that could be held with or by their _inferiors_.

A moment later, an enlisted rate floated down from above. "Commander Sanguine," he announced to the pilot. "Captain Carlisle wishes to speak to you. Preferably at the earliest opportunity, he says."

"Heh," Mallet let out in the open. _God forbid that old bastard should leave me unattended for too long._

That earned a near laugh from Lilia, who easily picked up on the exclamation. She held it back however.

"Very well, I'll be up there shortly," Mallet replied, to which the enlisted man saluted and promptly departed. The Commander turned back to his wingmates. "Go over your _Zakus_ one final time. I don't want to leave Zonnes with faulty equipment, especially in our mobile suits."

"Yes sir," Gusta responded, he and Lilia then saluting as well before departing. As they did, Lilia, while still facing forward, took one final glance with her power back to her superior. Picking up on this, Mallet only nodded in return, to which Lilia then turned back to focus on the trek to her machine.

Once again alone with his mobile suit, Mallet looked back up to its dimmed mono-eye camera, smirking. _This will be a most interesting venture indeed…_

* * *

**Federation **_**Lexington**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Warp**

Quietly entering the observation deck, Amuro once again found Sayla there, her eyes fixed upon the stars streaking by the _Ark Royal_ at warp. Normally this would be a time for one of her lessons to him, but obviously that had been put on hold for the moment being. Even so, Amuro still wanted to be there, by her side, especially before the shooting began anew. _Sayla?_

_It's alright,_ Sayla answered, allowing for Amuro to come stand beside her, which he did. _I just wanted some calm before our arrival._

The Newtype woman couldn't help but frown as she transmitted that. _Calm,_ she mused. _It seems like that's getting shorter in supply as we continue onward._

_Yeah,_ Amuro solemnly agreed. _It feels like eons since we like we left Shangri-La, yet it's just been from one battle to the next, and always with high stakes._

He shook his head. _You think it will ever end?_

_I'm not sure myself,_ Sayla replied. _Though I would like to think that something better will be there, for all of us, when we've accomplished what we were sent here to do._

_Heh, that also seems so long ago,_ Amuro mused. _Back when we were just supposed to take the _Gundams_ back to Earth._

_Yes, it was so simple then, wasn't it?_ Sayla retorted alongside. _A 'milk run' Commander Law and the others claimed it to be, just a simple transit to a middle rim colony and then a direct return with our cargo._

_And my not having to engage in battle at all,_ Amuro thought, remembering the boy, no, the _child_ he used to be. This naturally caused him to frown. _You're right, I was quite the whelp then._

_And still are to some degree,_ Sayla said, withholding a grin as Amuro nearly flinched. _But that's not necessarily a bad thing._

_So you say,_ Amuro admonished, sighing. _Back then none of this concerned me. The war was just something that happened well away from Earth. Even when the Zeon tried to go through Arcturus, I never really put much thought to it._

He then looked down from the stars for a moment. _But now…_ he continued. _Now I've seen so much, done so much,_ the Newtype man spoke in near confession. _Now, it's not that I can run away like I tried to do then. I simply can't._

Several images then appeared in Sayla's mind. That of Amuro holding a weeping Fraw, who had just barely survived the destruction of her home and family. The colony laser shot on Jericho, obliterating the planet and all those on it. Garma's descent and their desperate fight not for victory, but for survival.

_I can only fight Sayla,_ he went on, looking up again. _Whether for this ship, Earth or myself, I can only fight to win now, without turning away again._

His eyes then flickered as he said. _Nothing like that whelp and coward you found so long ago._

_Perhaps…_ Sayla mused, before taking on a smile. _Though not too much I still believe._

Amuro turned to face her with peculiarity, to which Sayla merely smiled back toward him. Moments later, alarm klaxons began to sound throughout the ship.

"This is the bridge, we are now on approach to Zorres," Kikka announced from overhead. "All hands to Level One Battlestations!"

"Right," Amuro sighed out loud. He had hoped their time would last a little longer, but he supposed it was to be expected. "Let's go."

With that, both _Gundam_ pilots turned and made their way back to the waiting hangar deck.

* * *

"Captain on the bridge!" Ryu announced as Bright exited the turbolift and took his seat. Once he was settled in, the Commander steeled himself for what lay ahead. "Report."

"Battlestations manned and ready sir," Mirai responded from her own seat, looking as ready as she could possibly make herself. "Weapons and defense systems are online and Commander Law reports his mobile suits can launch at any time."

"Good, good," Bright replied. No doubt the Zeeks had already detected their approach and scrambling their own defenses, but that wasn't something that would hinder them. Once again the _Ark Royal_ had been called to the field of battle, and once again Bright would lead her there with those around him. And God willing, they would exit Zorres victorious, no matter what awaited them there. "Time to reversion?"

"Ten seconds Captain," Katz replied, focusing forward with the rest of the bridge crew. He could only hope that they somehow survived this one as well. "Nine… Eight… Seven…"


	3. Chapter III: Waking Leviathan

"_Nobody ever defended anything successfully, there is only attack and attack and attack some more."_  
\- George S. Patton

**Chapter III: Waking Leviathan**

**Zeon supercarrier **_**Dolowa**_**  
Zorres Shipyards  
October 3, GC 379**

"Incoming contacts detected!" the tactical operator reported, alerting the whole of the _Dolowa_'s bridge. "Approximately thirteen ships incoming from warp, ETA ten minutes!"

"Can you identify?" Lindermann inquired as he and Lutjin moved over to the station. Both captain and admiral already had a sinking feeling toward what was now heading at them.

"They're still too far out for proper ID sir, but it's a fair guess they're Feddies," the tactical operator responded. "From the data thus far, I estimate nine cruisers, three battlecruisers…"

The operator visibly swallowed as he added. "And what may very well be a Trojan Horse."

Lutjin grimaced as he heard that. "_Ark Royal_," he said, effectively speaking the name everyone believed it to be, and feared. It could only be that ship. If the Feddies were truly aware of the _Dolowa_, which obviously they were, they would only send their best after her. "How much longer before we may launch?"

"Thirty-five minutes and seven seconds Admiral," the _Dolowa_'s XO stated dutifully, though even she could barely keep the nervousness off her expression.

"Damn," Lutjin espoused as he returned to his seat, with Lindermann and the XO following.

"We could expedite the launch sir," Lindermann offered.

Lutjin considered it for a moment, and then shook his head. "No, that won't be necessary," he replied assuredly. "We'll continue as we have, and let the garrison deal with the Feddies in the meantime."

"As you say sir," Lindermann nodded. "With your permission however, I would like to put some of our mobile suits on standby, just in case these particular Feddies prove too much."

The Admiral couldn't help but furtively smirk at the Captain's suggestion. "You mean in case _those_ particular Feddies prove too much."

Lindermann let out an exhale through his nostrils before answering. "Forgive me Admiral, but the _Ark Royal_ and her mobile suits have bested _three_ of our most able commanders in the past, and decimated countless men and material along the way."

Again he was tempted to exhale, but reneged. "I do not wish for them to do the same to us, especially now."

Lutjin nodded in understanding. "Very prudent Captain," he acknowledged, then waving him off. "Put whatever you teams you believe worthy of the task on standby."

"Yes sir," Lindermann started to move off, only for Lutjin to stop him.

"Once we launch however, those teams are to be recalled immediately," Lutjin stipulated. "We can hardly afford to get bogged down before our mission."

Lindermann nodded in agreement. "Once again as you say sir," he replied, only then moving out to carry out his task.

With that finished, Lutjin settled into his chair and silently waited for the Earth vessels to make their inevitable appearance. In a strange way, he found it a fitting outcome. The perfect requiem to mark the _Dolowa_'s emergence into the universe…

* * *

**Federation **_**Lexington**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Zorres System**

"Three… Two… One!"

All too abruptly did the tunnel of light end, causing the _Ark Royal_ to revert to normalspace with the rest of the taskforce. With that transition, the whole of the enemy shipyards now lay within the main monitor; lines of various constructs of equally myriad design, off containing ships and other such objects of some class or another, either being constructed or otherwise held in place for whatever alternative purpose. The multicolored orb of Zorres I held beyond that, itself dotted by multitudes of lights and artifices across its surface.

However, as Bright found himself gazing upon specifically, all of those facets were easily overshadowed by the vessel at the very center of the screen, itself held in perhaps the largest birth in the shipyard. Sitting in its hold like a sleeping behemoth, the _Dolowa_ stood by for all to behold, awaiting its fateful launch. At over two kilometers in length, it had to be the largest starship Bright and the rest of the _Ark Royal_'s bridge crew had ever laid eyes on, much to their cold collective astonishment. Appearing as little more than an enlarged metallic block or rectangle, with only a pair of equally square engine nacelles at her stern to show that she was in fact a ship and not an immobile fortress or space station. Following this, whole segments of gun and projectile launcher batteries dotted her surface, themselves too small to depict from the rest of her hull except through magnification. All complimented by clusters of underbelly catapult decks, which only emphasized her innumerable mobile suit and smallcraft loadout.

Bright could not help but shudder as he took the great entirety of the _Dolowa_ in. He had heard rumors of its existence, and had seen its gridline image just before, but now the true article stood before him and the rest of the taskforce. And indeed, the thing was a monster, a veritable juggernaut of a starship that was quite capable of taking on the bulk of the Space Force on its own. Wakkein was right, they could not allow her to sail; in fact, seeing her in her full form made Bright even more driven to have her sunk, while she was still inactive and vulnerable. The mere possibility of her breaking free of Zorres to bring her guns and mobile suits upon Admiral Revil's still gathering fleet…

"Enemy ships and mobile suits moving to intercept," Omar reported, right as a whole line of oncoming contacts emerged on the bridge monitor. A complimenting magnification displayed the horde of _Zakus_ as they flew straight on for the taskforce, in turn supported by two or three _Musakas_ moving out from their berths.

"Right, let's be about it then," Bright exclaimed, recalling the quote from some Old AD ship captain that Sleggar had been fond of. He found it rather fitting for the present engagement, especially as the Admiral's voice boomed over the force comlink. "Fleet command to all ships, fire at will! Begin launching mobile suits at once!"

* * *

"Sleggar Law, _Gundam Unit Beta_, launching!"

"Sayla Mass, _Gundam Unit Gamma_, launching!"

"Amuro Ray, _Gundam Unit Alpha_, launching!"

One after the other, the Earth mobile suits flung down their respective catapult decks and into open space, all speeding out into the proverbial valley of death directly ahead. From the onset Sleggar knew they were in for a very hard fight, and not simply because there was already a screen of _Zakus_ and enemy cruisers moving straight at them, the latter already trading beam and missile fire with their Feddie counterparts. The sheer extensiveness of the Zorres shipyards only belied how much was garrisoned there, as _Unit Beta_'s sensors picked up numerous other signals throughout the edifice, some of which was in the process of activating if not already moving to join the battle. And, of course, there was the ominous image of the _Dolowa_ further on, birthed and seemingly dormant but very much present. Sleggar felt a chill run down his spine at the prospect of having to fight that giant, to say nothing of the multitudes of mobile suits that she was undoubtedly loaded with.

_Sooner we blast that bitch and get the hell out, the better,_ he surmised just as _Unit Beta_, and _Units Alpha_ and _Gamma_, at last entered into firing range. His crosshairs falling on a _Zaku_ that sported a telltale command fin, Sleggar fired the first shot and subsequently scored first blood, sniping the Zeon mobile suit straight the torso and causing it to detonate in usual fashion. Amuro and Sayla soon followed up where he left off, scoring two other _Zakus_ before the Zeek formation at last broke, the bazooka equipped units returning fire just as the _Guncannons_ added their respective shoulder guns into the mix. Not long after the two groups effectively converged and mingled, turning into a shifting cloud of grey and green as Feddie and Zeek once more moved against the other. All while the capital ships retained to their own exchange in fire in the background.

Once more sniping _Zakus_ as though he were playing an arcade game, Sleggar maneuvered his _Gundam_ through the fire simultaneously, alternating between dodging and employing his beam shields. They were off to a good start, he could tell, as the Zeeks were not putting up any particularly difficult resistance, though that didn't mean the highborn scum didn't have any surprises waiting. Still, for the moment, the ace could only concentrate on the opposition presently around him, in which he continued to move and maneuver, firing his hyper beam rifle and at times his vulcans at anything that fell within his sight. Indeed the Zeeks had had good reason to label him the Eagle of Arcturus, as his latest line of blasted _Zakus_ could attest, had their pilots still been among the living of course.

Raising his beam shield up just as one other _Zaku_ fired its beam machine gun against from the right, Sleggar gunned his thrusters once and fired another kill shot straight through the Zeon suit's flank, easily drilling through the cockpit and out the other side. He didn't know if that had caused the whole suit to explode, nor was he overly concerned with the prospect, as two more of its kind soon swooped in to take where their comrade had left off. To this he triggered his vulcans, dissuading either green mobile suits from coming at him straight on, but they attacked regardless, forcing the ace to bank right to dodge their twin beam bursts. It took a bit of maneuvering, but Sleggar managed to keep ahead and flank the two _Zaku_'s, then sniping one down with a snapshot through the back. Its partner responded to this by firing its hip mounted missiles, but it had long since become second nature for the Eagle of Arcturus to shoot those down with his vulcans. A follow shot through the cockpit finished that _Zaku_ off as well, and Sleggar continued on through the battle.

At the very least the Zorres garrison forces seemed easy enough to contend with, though the ace had a feeling that they weren't the only tricks the Zeeks had up their collective sleeve. And again, there remained the _Dolowa_ in the far back, which could bring her own mobile suits – assuming she hadn't already – into the fight, and somehow Sleggar had a feeling that she wasn't carrying run of the mill cannon fodder. For the time being however, as he gunned down two more _Zakus_ with precise torso shots, the battle was off to a well enough start, as the enemy's defense was only holding up so much to the Earth forces' incursion. Sleggar could only hope that remained so for the remainder of the battle, especially when Wakkein brought his nukes into play.

* * *

_That thing is a monster!_ Amuro thought as his eyes once again fell on the _Dolowa_'s silhouette, even as he fought alongside Sayla through the defending _Zakus_. By that point in the war, the up and coming ace had thought he had seen the most terrible inventions the enemy had to offer. Clearly he had been mistaken. As bad as the Colony Laser had been at Jericho, the _Dolowa_ was a different breed of weapon altogether. A single ship with the power and complement of an entire battlefleet, meant to lay waste to any and all that fell before her.

_Concentrate on the battle Amuro,_ Sayla reminded as she dodged another _Zaku's_ machine gun burst, only to flank it and shoot it through the back before it could follow. She then followed this up by dodging another Zeon suit's axe strike, to which she responded by smashing her left gauntlet into its side and firing a single burst, obliterating the cockpit and the pilot within quite easily. _Let the taskforce worry about that monstrosity._

Though still taken back by the enemy carrier's looming image in his monitor, Amuro nonetheless followed his wingmate's advice and focused back on the _Zakus_, who seemed rather driven to keep the White Devil as far from Zorres as they could manage. Some of them were deliberately avoiding him, and Sayla as well, altogether, though Amuro knew that didn't make them any lesser targets. He emphasized that fact as he fired his hyper beam rifle, scoring two _Zakus_ that were attempting to move onto some nearby _Guncannons_ as he passed, and then blasted a third that was angling for Commander Amada's team. He then shot down a fourth over considerable distance, right as it was moving upon a team from the _Magellan_.

That drew enough of the enemy's attention toward him as two, then three more _Zakus_ fired their bazooka and machine guns in tandem, trying to overwhelm him with sheer firepower, only for _Unit Alpha_ to make the evasion seem like child's play. A following snapshot took out the bazooka wielding _Zaku_, causing one of the machine gunners to fire its missiles while its partner continued to shoot its primary weapon. Amuro simply flanked the beams and projectiles and launched forward, sniping the head off the former _Zaku_ while simultaneously drawing a beam saber to slash the second through the midsection. A second rifle shot then finished the previous target, which exploded all too promptly.

Not to be outdone on her end, Sayla decided to follow Amuro's example and swapped her rifle for her own saber. That expectedly enticed some of the oncoming _Zaku_ pilots, who all figured they could concentrate their firepower before the "red bitch" could close in, much to Sayla's bemusement. Naturally the Valkyrie of Riah was all too willing to show them the error of their assumptions, her _Gundam_ dancing around the oncoming fire as efficiently as its white brethren had done and was still doing. All the while closing in faster than the aforementioned _Zaku_ pilots could have believed, much as their collective shock bemused Sayla even further.

A snap vulcan burst easily destroyed the head module of her first target, disheveling it long enough for her to move in and cut it down diagonally, then following up by bifurcating its teammate through the waistline. A particularly daring _Zaku_ then attempted to gun in her in the back, only for Sayla to gun her thrusters and ascend over the beam burst, then move "upside down" behind her attacker and stab it through its own back, right before twisting the now "dead" mobile suit into its comrades' line of fire. The resulting detonation allowed her to move on, slashing down one more _Zaku_ as she flew by, then raising her left beam shield to deflect the beam burst of one more. That one she retaliated with a crippling vulcan burst of her own, right before turning away to continue onward.

Moving up to join her, Amuro had since withdrawn his beam saber and instead focused back on his rifle, shooting down more and more _Zakus_ while Sayla butchered them in her preferred fighting style. Though he still was not as precise a shot as Commander Law, Amuro was still making fairly good headway through the garrison forces, which if anything were somewhat easier to kill than what he was used to. Even so, as he had also long since gotten used to, there was a lot of them to shoot down, and even Sayla could only take out so many at time, even as she diced another nearby _Zaku_ into fourths without slowing down. Yet another slog to the finish, even if Amuro's side was on the offensive this time around.

And of course, there remained the _Dolowa_ itself. Whose silhouette _still_ daunted Amuro whenever his eyes fell upon it, even through the present melee.

* * *

**Zeon supercarrier **_**Dolowa**_**  
Zorres Shipyards**

_Of course this would be the result,_ Lindermann thought as he and the rest of his bridge watched the garrison forces make their valiant but ultimately futile stand against the Feddies. Certainly they were fighting and fighting hard, but it was evident that the Earthnoids were the superior combatants, even if the three Project V suits and their ace pilots were discounted. Again this did not surprise Lindermann – nor Admiral Lutjin he suspected – in the least, given that the Feddies obviously had much battlefield experience to fall back on. Even so, this would not make getting his ship out into space any easier. "ETA to launch point?"

"Twenty minutes, thirty-two seconds," his XO reported diligently, though Lindermann knew her well enough that even he could pick up her own dismay. After all, weren't _they_ supposed to be the superior line of humanity? How on Zeon could any of their Highborn brethren be bested by these Earthen miscreants?

Sitting back silently from his end of the bridge, Lutjin tapped his fingers into his chair arm as he watched the action play out. As lackluster as the garrison's performance was, he could not help but feel strangely appreciative of this outcome, especially as he focused on the Project V units as they moved in and out through the battle. As with perhaps the whole of Zeon, he had much of that trio's deeds, as well as the deeds of their mothership, as of late, but only now as Lutjin able to get a firsthand account of their performance. And indeed, he could easily see why Char Aznable, Aiguille Delaz and Prince Garma had had so much trouble with them. God – assuming one existed – help any of them if _they_ were set to join in the attack on Odessa that His Majesty anticipated.

Following that, there was much temptation to stamp out the _Ark Royal_ and the tricolored monsters that flew with her, but Lutjin did well to dispel it. Besides the fact such action would cost much of the _Dolowa_'s own mobile suit force, if not much of the _Dolowa_ herself, the fact remained that his mission, as stipulated by His Majesty himself, was quite clear. The _Dolowa_ was to set sail immediately and seek out Admiral Revil's rallying point for Odessa. None of the present hindrances, not even the last of the long feared _Lexington_-class, justified any pause or side errand in the execution of that mission. And it wasn't as though Lutjin himself felt such necessity.

No, Lutjin thought, almost waving his hand at the monitor in his dismissal. This Feddie taskforce was troublesome, and certainly not an element he wanted to remain in place, but in the end they were nothing. Nothing but insects buzzing around irritably but ultimately in helplessness. A fact that they would realize all too soon, when the _Dolowa_ at last put to space.

* * *

Restrained ire surged through Mallet as, through both his cockpit monitor and his special power, he watched the battle outside wage on. It wasn't the first time in his life that he felt chained and held down, but it certainly was one of the more apparent events. The Feddies, with the _Ark Royal_ and her three harbingers, were on Zorres' doorstep, making mincemeat of the system's defenders, and all Mallet and his squadron could do was watch it as it happened. At least until the moment that the leash was removed and he and his were finally sent out, but until then – assuming that would indeed happen in fact – all he could do was remain where he was. Well within the _Dolowa_'s hold, all but physically gnashing his teeth as the enemy remained virtually unopposed. Oh how much he wanted to change that, as well as bring the Feddies out of their proud stupor.

The more and more the battle progressed, the more Mallet felt fury and bloodlust writhe inside of him, as though actually struggling for release. He was all but immersed in it now. His consciousness clouded with the death and destruction that was now occurring, such that he could almost feel the heat of each weapon discharge, the wave of each ship and mobile suit meeting its destruction. As well as the harrowing cries of the individual beings within those constructs as death consumed them raw, regardless of whether they were his fellow Zeon or Feddie interlopers. All of it playing out as one great cacophonic force.

A weaker sentience, even one with the same power, might have buckled or broken from such devastation, but not Mallet Sanguine. He virtually bathed in the slaughter, the sheer annihilation. The blood of his enemies the finest wine, their death cries as music. Such that his special power only augmented the rapture, the euphoria that he felt within as machinery was obliterated and human life snuffed out of existence. The maddening harmony of war. A war that caused the galaxy itself to shudder around it.

And yet again that was all he could do now. Watch, listen and feel it all occur before him, when he wanted to drive his own mobile suit into the carnage. The chain around his neck thick and heavy, keeping him in place, with only the knowledge that it may yet be removed his only solace. It had to be and all too soon. After all, it wouldn't do well for the Feddies to reach into the shipyards once they decimated the garrison. Likewise, he and his squadron, as well as the rest, would not have been put on standby simply to watch all the fun. They were going to be sent out, it was just a question of when Admiral Lutjin or whoever let them slip.

Once that occurred, Mallet smiled savagely, _then_ the real battle would take place. Especially as Mallet found himself setting his sights on the all too notorious white mobile suit with the stylized red "A" on it shoulder. The sheer power, the raw force, he felt within nearly causing his mouth to water with anticipation. With a familiar, but far too rarely felt, yearning.

* * *

Another _Zaku_ came at him with its axe held high, only for Shiro to twist his _Stormer_ around and unleash the fury of his shoulder gatling guns. As with so many of its brethren to the present, the Zeon suit crumpled under the concentrated beam fire, blasting apart well before a reactor detonation finished off the whole. Naturally Shiro had little time or inclination to celebrate the kill before two more Zeeks came after him, both firing their machine guns in tandem as he jetted back, retaliating with his own rifle. He blasted the head off one, which in turn allowed him to strike the second through the cockpit, but by then a third appeared, leveling its bazooka and firing in sequence. Shiro maneuvered around those shots as well, taking care to stay well ahead, and then promptly blasted away that _Zaku_ as well. Still many more to go however, as his sensors indicated.

_At the very least they're not too difficult for once,_ the Lieutenant Commander thought as he and his subordinates continued through the melee, Kiki and Michel both using their _Troopers'_ shoulder cannons to keep the Zeon on the evasive while Shiro picked one or two more off with his gatling guns. He wasn't surprised given that this was an in-system garrison they were dealing with and _not_ frontline forces, but it was still a far cry to the likes of Anges. It might have actually been refreshing to him had he not been so concentrated on killing anything that had a mono-eye on it, and then some.

Both Kiki and Michel felt similarly as the former moved onto her own beam rifle while the latter fired off a vulcan spray to one daring that _Zaku_ that tried to move further in. A more adept Zeon pilot would have easily raised his or her beam shield to deflect from the latter attack, but this one proved too slow, and Michel watched as the _Zaku_ ended up getting plastered across its frame. A following dual shoulder cannon blast then finished off, or at least the whole upper portion of the suit, allowing Michel to turn around and fire his beam rifle onto another set in support of his wingmate. However, Kiki proved no less capable than he, gunning down one more _Zaku_ with a snapshot that she thought would have made Commander Law proud, and then jetting back and firing her cannons to blow away one more. Another pair then moved in on the two Federation suits, but were dissuaded by another burst from their team lead's gatling cannons, from which the _Troopers_ were quick to fire back as well.

Again Shiro's sensors beeped, indicating another _Zaku_ charging at him at full burn, machine gun blazing. Already too far in for him to dodge, he raised his suit's beam shield and deflected the bulk of the fire, and then retaliated with his vulcans. The Zeon suit, which noticeably had a command fin, was quick however, banking left and flanking, all the while keeping up its own fire and even launching missiles to compliment. Shiro, however, wasn't any less adept, and so reversed and then moved right, dodging the beams and swatting the missiles down before they could so much as brush against his _Guncannon_. He then fired three beam rifle shots, the finned _Zaku_ dodging two but ending up with one spearing its left leg. That lapse was more than enough for Shiro to take advantage of, as he again let loose his suit's primary weapons, riddling that _Zaku_ into obliterating as well. This time there was no explosion, but the damage was certainly done, the ruined, bullet holed corpse flinging away aimlessly.

Taking but a very short moment to breath, Shiro then turned his suit about, reengaging the gatling cannons as another pair of _Zakus_ came on him and his team, with Michel and Kiki again joining with their own standard cannons. More mono-eyes fell as a result, but as usual, there remained plenty more where they came from. Not that that was about to stop the three Shrikes, or any of their other brethren, from seeing Operation Bismarck through of course. As best emphasized more and more Zeon fell before them.

* * *

_Fucking amateurs,_ Karen thought as she let loose another spray from her shoulder launchers, managing to destroy two _Zakus_ and damage one other. A fourth attempted to run after her with its axe drawn, but she easily dissuaded it with her vulcans while Eledore took it out with a potshot from her left, blasting it from the side and out the other. Karen flashed a smirk as her lover flashed a quick thumbs up to her before jetting back, right as another team found them and Job, the three _Guncannons_ continuing the battle. They were making an impact on the defenders, but Zorres was still enemy territory, which meant that the Zeeks had even more to throw at them than usual. Another day at the office as far as the three Shrikes were concerned.

That being said, Karen made sure not to get too complacent, even as she struck one more _Zaku_ down with her rifle, and then shot after another with her vulcans once more. They may not have been Garma and his entourage, but they were still dangerous as best emphasized when she raised her beam shield to deflect the autofire of her latest target. She retaliated just as fast with another pair of missiles, only for the _Zaku_ to bank away right as the two projectiles came closing. Not that it really mattered, as through such a maneuver Karen was quite capable of lining her rifle and firing a shot straight the cockpit, right before the pilot could raise his own shield. Yet another spectacular explosion, only for two more to come flying through, both firing their machine guns in tandem and forcing her back, alternating between maneuvering and reemploying her shield. Again Eledore, and Job with him, came to her support, though both Zeon suits were able to veer away right as the two _Troopers_ triggered their own shoulder guns.

Right then, Karen's sensors beeped a proximity alert, indicating that one of the launched _Musakas_ was locking onto her with its phalanx. Gritting her teeth, she put her suit into overdrive, evading the beam bursts as well as the follow up missile sprays. Her _Hellfire_ may not have been the most agile suit ever made, but it was good enough for her to dance around the ship based anti-MS guns, as well as close in to deal with the cruiser. The downside however, was that because she lacked traditional shoulder beam weapons, she had to move in closer than average lest the enemy warship swat her missiles away, while her limited ammunition also meant that she had take care of what she hit. Not that any of those really bothered her; she was as good as sinking big bad warships as anyone else in Shrike Squadron.

A point that was easily made as she fired her beam rifle across the hull, striking down the two main guns and some of the phalanx as she made her way up to the bridge tower. A pair of missiles at point blank easily took care of that, rendering the ship brainless for a time, thereby allowing her to move toward its stern. Only when she reached a certain position just above and due aft the cruiser did she let loose a full missile barrage, the guided projectiles raining across the Zeon ship as an angry swarm of meteors, obliterating key points across the hull. The cruiser didn't explode wholly, but that didn't matter, as it was thoroughly on fire now while escape pods launched away at different vectors. That was more than good enough for Karen, who, after smiling at her handiwork, turned about to rejoin her two squadmates in taking down additional _Zakus_, and maybe one or two more cruisers along the way.

* * *

**Zeon supercarrier **_**Dolowa**_**  
Zorres Shipyards**

Exhaling through his nostrils in dismay, Lindermann could not help but glower that much more as Zeon's losses in Zorres truly began to stack. Not only were they losing _Zakus_ left and right, but now some of the launched warships were being damaged if not outright stricken, and the Feddies hadn't slow much as slowed down in their onslaught. A truly paltry display that became more so as the fighting continued, and his ship was still not quite ready to launch yet. "Time remaining?"

"Fifteen minutes, nineteen seconds," the XO again reported, causing her captain's brow to furrow even further. At the rate the fighting was going, it wouldn't be long before the damn Earthnoids reached into the shipyards itself. Not that anyone aboard the _Dolowa_ believed that they would be able to wound their ship, but…

"Captain Lindermann," Lutjin spoke up from the rear of the bridge, causing all eyes to turn toward him. "It would seem that these Feddies are quite complacent, wouldn't you agree?"

Though unsure of what the Admiral was meaning, the captain of the _Dolowa_ answered regardless. "It would seem so, yes," he replied, being keen enough to note the underlying message. "What are your orders?"

To this, Lutjin smiled. "I think it's time we showed these lowborn scum what they are up against," he spoke almost conspiringly. "_Truly_ up against."

Easily catching on, Lindermann was quick to match his superior's smile. "With pleasure sir," he then turned to his comm officer and nodded, the man immediately relaying the appropriate orders.

* * *

At last, the call had been made. Licking his lips with even greater anticipation, Mallet brought his mobile suit up to the catapult deck, then causing it to crouch slightly as he awaited the due signal. Already other mobile suits were launching and taking to the battle before him and his squadron, but that hardly mattered. As much better as they would undoubtedly perform compared to the garrison, none of them would so much as touch his intended prey, who was still reaping through _Zakus_ as a farmer to a field. He, and only he, was capable of bringing that particular Feddie down from his pedestal.

_And so it shall be,_ Mallet thought as the indicator at flashed ready. His grin taking on a far more malevolent tone, he then proceeded. "Mallet Sanguine, _Act Zaku_, launching!"

* * *

**Federation **_**Lexington**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Zorres System**

"Second wave of enemy mobile suits incoming!" Omar called out as soon as the new contacts registered on the _Ark Royal_'s sensor system. "_Zakus_ and…"

He trailed off slightly as he looked over the readout. "Several unknown types," he said, bringing up images of the units in question on the main monitor.

"What the hell are those?" Mirai exclaimed as she saw the new units, while Bright found himself frowning. Somehow it figured that the Zeon would have more than just standard _Zakus_ here. Itself indicating another hard truth.

_They had to have launched from the _Dolowa_,_ Bright thought but didn't say aloud. He wasn't surprised, but still disturbed by this advent. Garrison forces were one thing to deal with, but Emperor Gihren wouldn't have packed his prized weapon with lackluster pilots and mobile suits. The fact they had some newer models among their numbers emphasized that fact.

"Have the _Gundams_ move against the new arrivals first," Bright then commanded, causing Kikka to relay his orders to the CDC, who would then relay them out to Commander Law and the rest. "See if they can bring their numbers down before the _Guncannons_ engage."

* * *

_Well, this is going to be loads of fun,_ Sleggar thought quite dryly as he turned _Unit Beta_ about to face the new line of opposition. The numbers alone made it so; any other time he would have sworn that the newcomers had launched from the shipyard garrison or some other system installation, _not_ from a capital ship. Even the _Ark Royal_ couldn't match that oncoming wave with her load, and the ace had a feeling that it was far from the _Dolowa_'s total carrying capacity as well. Overall the Commander didn't like what he was seeing in the least, but he still had a job to do regardless.

Once again, it wasn't long before the Zeeks entered into his _Gundam_'s firing range, to which Sleggar triggered his rifle, managing to shoot down about two of the new arrivals before the bazooka equipped units began to return fire. Already he could tell these Zeon were different from the garrison pilots; though the Eagle of Arcturus remained true to his reputation, maneuvering through the horde while shooting down _Zakus_ as though he were at an arcade, it was taking more out of him to line up his sights and shoot. In fact, more than a few of the _Zakus_ were actually dodging his shots, at least for a time. And that didn't discount their counterattacks either, with Sleggar being forced further into evasion than he would have preferred, if not having to employ his shields altogether.

_Yeah, fun fun fun,_ the ace thought as he dodged the machine gun burst of one such _Zaku_, then aiming and firing for the cockpit in reprisal. As opposed to the Zeeks he had been killing up to this point, this _Zaku_ managed to duck, "only" losing a chunk of its head to the Eagle of Arcturus' attempted kill shot. It then fired its hip missiles, causing Sleggar to reverse and fire his vulcans to bring down the projectiles before they could reach. Another machine gun burst then forced the Commander to raise his right beam shield to deflect, as well as fire his vulcans again simultaneously, but again the enemy suit managed to promptly evade, gunning its thrusters and launching away from the beam spray. From that, it attempted to catch Sleggar at his left flank, but both the pilot and his _Gundam_ had much greater reflexes, again reversing and causing the yellow beams to miss wide. From that, Sleggar twisted about and fired a snapshot. This time it landed square in the cockpit block, rendering the _Zaku_ dead and adrift with so many of its kind.

Barely two seconds had passed following the kill when Sleggar engaged his left beam shield, deflecting the missile attack of yet another _Zaku_. He then moved to shoot that one down as well, but the Zeek chose to forgo the machine gun for its axe and charged at him, dodging the hyper beam rifle shot and moving up for an overhead attack. To this Sleggar acted even faster, bringing up his left gauntlet and obliterating both the axe and the hands that held it above, and then following up with his vulcans straight into that cockpit as well. Again the stricken _Zaku_ didn't explode, at least not until Sleggar dodged the bazooka shot of one of its comrades, which effectively finished the carcass off for him. Again he returned fire against the aggressor, but this Zeek proved to be better than average as well, sacrificing its left arm against a shot that was intended for the torso. Fortunately a follow up beam bazooka shot was all it managed to get off, to which _Unit Beta_ easily dodged and relined up, sniping that _Zaku_ straight through just as quickly. This one exploded.

Somehow managing not to grimace as his sensors beeped further in warning, Sleggar twisted his _Gundam_ around and continued to fire, this time only striking down one Zeek at the onset. The rest very keen in responding with their myriad weapons, all the while moving to flank and overwhelm the Eagle simultaneously.

* * *

Sneering as the next _Zaku_ team came at him with their machine guns blazing, Amuro retaliated with a snap beam rifle shot straight through the center one, which he assumed to be the team lead, causing the two others to break formation and move to flank. They still attacked in sequence however, forcing the White Devil to employ both his beam shields at different angles to deflect the beam bursts, and then return fire to the one on his left with his vulcans. That seemed to dissuade the enemy mobile suit for a time, which in turn allowed Amuro to also deflect the missile attack from its partner, from which he jetted upward and fired another snap rifle shot. Unfortunately the enemy pilot proved adept, actually managing to bring his own beam shield around to deflect the rifle shot, while his partner regained the initiative and moved to strike Amuro in the back. Only a timely and quite Commander Law-like maneuver of swinging _Unit Alpha_'s rifle arm about and "backfiring" removed that particular Zeon from the equation, after which Amuro promptly finished off its partner.

Newtype senses fully acute, Amuro easily picked upon the thoughts and feelings of his opposition, which he found as different from the first wave as night and day on Earth. Compared to the lackluster defenders of the Zorres System, these Zeeks were all combat experienced in one way or another, having been drawn from various parts of the war and concentrated into that single giant of warship in the far distance. As such, they were very assured and confident, and not so much intimidated by the Feddies' presence, not even the three _Gundams_ and their ace pilots. Granted, that only lasted for so long until they actually fought against Amuro, as well as Sayla and Commander Law, but that alone made them much more difficult to kill compared to the usual opposition. Their respective skills with their mobile suits only made them that much more so.

Suddenly, in the midst of the fighting, Amuro felt an all too familiar flash of lightning run across his mind and soul. Something else was out there, among the Zeon, generating pressure. And it was heading after him at a velocity that should have been impossible for a _Zaku_.

Reversing quickly, Amuro watched in near slow motion as a solid beam – one that could not have been fired from a machine gun – lanced straight through the space that he had just inhabited. This beam was quickly followed by many others, to which the aspiring ace found himself having to dodge more and more. In the middle of one such maneuver, he turned his _Gundam_ about and fired at the source, only to watch as the enemy mobile suit in question dodged as well, again much faster than any _Zaku_ could ever hope. And it retaliated just as quickly, such that Amuro was forced into a running gun battle against the Zeek. A harrowing bout of laughter soon flickering into the White Devil's conscious.

_So, this is the so-called White Devil,_ a domineering and utterly violent "voice" called out in Amuro's head amidst his running and gunning. Already Amuro felt his lips recede back into a sneer as he felt the vile presence become more apparent. _Prince Garma's killer in the flesh._

_What's it to you!?_ Amuro felt himself snap back against the Zeon as he triggered his vulcans, only to watch as the enemy suit, which he was sure was a _Zaku_ itself and yet quite different, veered away. It naturally retaliated with additional rifle shots of its own, forcing Amuro to bring up his left beam shield.

_Nothing really. I merely hope you prove to be enough of a challenge,_ the voice responded back, to which Amuro could feel his opponent's own sneer toward him. _That is, before I rend you of course._

Baring his teeth at the enemy pilot, Amuro also found himself concentrating on the opposing suit as it drew further in. His initial assumption was correct. It was a _Zaku_, but far different from the ones he had been killing up to this point, and not just simply because of its smoothened, more streamlined form. Its internal mechanics were also quite different, with many of its components more akin to what Amuro would have found in an Earth model suit, much to his unnerve. And that's before one got into the fact that it was using a beam rifle instead of the usual machine gun, while the _Gundam_ pilot also picked up on ports for a beam shield on either arms, as well as what may very well had been beam saber mounts on its hips. Combined with the suit's command fin and blue and white colors, which obviously indicated the pilot an ace himself, and Amuro saw that he would indeed have a difficult fight.

And that was before he described the malevolent aura he felt around the _Zaku_. Like that of a ravenous, bloodthirsty beast, one that sought to consume his blood specifically.

_I am Lieutenant Commander Mallet Sanguine of Zeon,_ the adversary continued further, dodging another rifle shot from Amuro's part and retaliating accordingly. _And I am death, as you will learn all too soon, boy._

Again Amuro sneered as he felt the overwhelming virulence. _We'll see about that Zeek!_ he responded back as he put _Unit Alpha_ to full burn, continuing his battle with this murderously savage Zeon.

* * *

Maneuvering in a way that only her _Gundam _could accomplish, Sayla dodged around the machine gun bursts and complimenting beam rifle shots of her latest set of targets, who were proving even more tedious than the previous opposition had been. The regular _Zakus_ were difficult enough to contend with, but apparently the _Dolowa_ bunch had some new models mixed in, which outside their own green tinted forms were almost completely different in design from their mono-eyed brethren. She made a mental note to go over the technical parts with Amuro later. In the meantime however, as she at last drew close enough to properly employ her saber, the Valkyrie of Riah still much work to accomplish.

Slashing down the first standard _Zaku_ that she reached, Sayla then gunned thrusters and jetted upward as one of the new models attempted to snipe her from the right. She retaliated with her vulcans, but that particular model proved to be much faster than its older brethren, dodging her fire at great speed. Not that it really hindered her, as she was just as fast in dodging its own rifle shot, from which she impaled another one of the older type _Zakus_ through the cockpit block, then promptly withdrew her blade and launched away before any of its comrades could get a bead on her. This was soon followed by a third, and then a fourth, all systematically cut down while Sayla was still technically on the defensive. And then, at last, she managed to strike down a new model, feigning a frontal attack only to jet upwards and move behind, bifurcating the ginned up _Zaku_ in a sweep at the waistline. Again moving just before any of the others could target her.

From that, she felt the familiar lightning flash run through her head, while her sensors beeped in warning. One of the new models had forgone its rifle and was now moving at her with its own beam saber drawn to kill. Reacting even faster than before, Sayla deflected the initial attack with her left beam shield and then moved to impale with her saber, only to watch as the _Zaku_ receded and then banked right to evade her follow up slash. All the while Sayla felt an equally familiar pressure began to way in her mind, emanating from this particular enemy.

_How interesting,_ she thought as an image soon formed in her consciousness. That of a young woman, slightly younger than her, with short blonde hair and dark blue eyes, as well as a focus and determination that was inordinate even for a Zeon, or a Newtype. There was no banter, no boisterousness with this one. Just a singular drive to fight and to kill whatever stood in front of her, which was presently Sayla Mass. All in Zeon's glory, as well as one other's…

Knowing better than to take herself off the fight, Sayla instead focused back on parrying the next saber attack, and then counterattack with a beheading stroke. Again the strangely designed _Zaku_ evaded her slash, and then raised its left beam shield to deflect her next, from which it counter with an overhead chop that would have taken off _Unit Gamma's_ left arm had Sayla not reversed at the right moment. Another vulcan burst, another raising of a beam shield to defend. Followed by the continued clashing of sabers and the furious glare of the red _Gundam_'s dual eye cameras into the _Zaku_'s own equally glaring mono-eye.

* * *

**Federation **_**Montana**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Magellan**_**  
Zorres System**

_Damn it, we're running out of time,_ Wakkein thought as he watched the second wave at last converge with his fleet's defenders, effectively hindering his ships from their target that much more. The three _Gundams_ had taken out a fair chunk of that line's numbers, but there remained an abundance of them still, enough to keep the _Guncannons_ tied down and potentially attack the taskforce itself. Needless to say, there was no way they could fire upon the _Dolowa_ now, not until enough of that set of enemies had been cleared away. And Wakkein wasn't too hopeful, especially as the more time his taskforce spent in Zorres, the more likely enemy reinforcements were sure to arrive.

"Enemy incoming!" the tactical operator resounded, causing Wakkein to look up. One of the newer models had broken through the line and was now angling for the _Magellan_. Already the battlecruiser's flag captain ordered all phalanx to be redirected, sending a flurry of beams at the enemy suit, while those ships closest also added in their support fire. However, the Zeek managed to zigzag all the way through, with much greater evasiveness than Wakkein had ever seen with a _Zaku_, and so gunned directly after the flagship. Only then did it finally slipup, with one beam managing to blast off a chunk of its right leg, the loss in momentum allowing the other guns to focus their fire. The Zeon suit was then quickly reduced to another expanding cloud of vapors thereafter.

_Enough of this,_ Wakkein thought, managing not to shake his head. "Fleet command to all ships, begin pre-launch procedures," he commanded to the taskforce. If they couldn't get a clear enough shot at the _Dolowa_, then they would just have to settle for the best shot they could make. And it wasn't like their target was easy to miss anyway. "Standby to fire!"

* * *

Again the Devil dodged his Mallet's kill shot, only for the Feddie to twist around and fire off another vulcan spray. Far from frustrated, the Zeon ace was in fact invigorated by his adversary's performance. Never had he encounter such a terrifying, yet highly skilled opponent, such that even with his _Act Zaku_, Mallet was having to go all out simply to keep up with the Earthnoid scum. It was no wonder Char Aznable and Prince Garma, for all of their own skill, had been unable to contend with the white menace, and that so many other of Mallet's kin had soiled themselves in its mere presence. Well, no matter, as Mallet was as far removed from the rest of them as a Highborn could be from his fellows, even if one took his special power out of the equation.

_Excellent!_ Mallet all but howled as Amuro Ray came upon him point blank, swiping his suit's open left hand – which appeared to mount some sort of beam weapon emplacement – at the _Act Zaku_'s head. Before Mallet could angle his beam rifle to counterattack, the Feddie again let loose his vulcans, and then upon receding back some distance his own rifle. Mallet dodged all of these attacks, but in doing so he had been unable to make his own. _Most excellent!_

Once more though his power did Mallet pick up on Lieutenant Ray's lips twist into a hateful sneer. The Feddie was not enjoying this fight as much as his Zeon opponent was. Pity, Mallet felt, but ultimately irrelevant. The only thing that mattered was when he at last spilled the Devil's blood, emphasized upon his at last bringing his own rifle back about and firing a three shot burst. The white mobile suit dodged the first two shots and then deflected the third with its left shield, but in doing so Mallet was able to flank right, firing more shots that kept the Devil dancing. _You're even more entertaining than your reputation, boy._

_I'm glad you approve Zeek,_ Amuro retorted back as he fired off his own snapshot, only for Mallet to effectively sidestep his machine out of the line of fire. He responded just as quickly, only for the Devil to raise his left beam shield again and deflect, followed once more by a vulcan burst. Mallet zigzagged around all of it, continuing to shoot as he did, the white mobile suit weaving through the fire as well. _I hope you still feel that way at the very end!_

_Oh I will,_ Mallet's own lips folded back into an even more vicious grin, one that Amuro Ray felt enough to cause his blood to run cold. It was then that Mallet at last withdrew his rifle and drew his left hip mounted beam saber, the yellow energy blade flickering active upon the draw, and then charging straight on. _I will remember this bloodletting well!_

Again sneering, Amuro deflected the initial strike with his left shield while also placing back his rifle for his own beam saber, which flashed in familiar magenta. The running battle quickly transitioned from a gunfight to swordplay, with either mobile suit effectively dancing through space, sabers maneuvering in elaborate patterns. All the while either pilot kept their gaze upon the other, through their shared senses as well as their cockpit monitors, with Amuro glowering after Mallet as the latter smiled in horrid ecstasy. Energy blades continuously crossed and evaded throughout.

* * *

Clashing her own saber against her red adversary's, Lilia Flaubert continued to focus on the singular task of killing the Valkyrie of Riah and avenging Prince Sasro once and for all. Though she had not spoken a word to Sayla Mass since their apparent duel had begun, Lilia could not help but be somewhat intrigued with the Earth ace. Specifically the strange aura the Zeon pilot picked up on through her special senses, which, far from a singular nature, seemed to be a myriad of thoughts, feelings and emotions bundled and overlapping together. That being said, the most apparent of these was certain fury and vengefulness, though that didn't seem to be directed at Lilia in particular. A fascinating spectacle, had she not been so concentrated on trying to kill the source.

Regardless of that however, the Valkyrie proved to be as capable a fighter as Lilia had heard, such that it was taking every bit of her own skill to contend with her. The red mobile suit danced through the void, slashing at her torso, only for Lilia to engage her _Act Zaku_'s left shield and knock away the saber stroke, right before attempting to impale in turn. A short vulcan burst dissuaded her however, forcing her to withdraw somewhat and maneuver around the spray fire, but Lilia was far from falling back on the defensive entirely. She circled, attempting to strike at the red mobile suit's left flank, only for Sayla to twist her own suit about and parry the strike, as well as the follow up that Lilia hastily executed. The two women exchanged blades from there, both attempting to maneuver or overcome the other's defense while maintaining their own offensive momentum, neither willing to yield. It was fast proving rather frustrating to either, as Lilia quickly felt that particular emotion from her opponent, and vice versa.

And then both simultaneously gunned their thrusters and ascended, continuing to attack and defend as their respective mounts launched through the void. Though the Valkyrie still had some advantage over her with her vulcans, Lilia was more than able to keep up regardless, and her _Act Zaku_ showed no sign of falling out from under her. She maintained her ferocity as a result, repeatedly intertwining with the red mobile suit and attacking, evading or deflecting in equal form, just as Sayla Mass did with her. No words between them, despite their deciphering the other with their respective powers. Only the continuous striking and maneuvering of beam sabers, as well as the occasional employment of beam shielding and the Feddie suit's vulcans and the shared unwillingness to yield to the other. All while either pilot, much to their combined irritation, found no quick end to be held.

* * *

**Zeon supercarrier **_**Dolowa**_**  
Zorres Shipyards**

For the first time in so long, oh so long, Vice Admiral Johannes Lutjin felt well and truly in elation. It was only a small taste of what the _Dolowa_ and her mobile suits could accomplish, but it was more than enough for the present enemy. Rather than move into Zorres uncontested as they had at the start, the Feddies nearly had their own backs against the wall, attempting to keep Lutjin's forces from them as well as their own ships. It was beautiful, no, magnificent to behold. The perfect demonstration of the power that His Majesty had personally bestowed upon him. The same power he would take straight against the Feddies all too soon.

"Time," Captain Lindermann once more called out for.

"Ten minutes, twenty-seven seconds," the XO reported, noticeably more relieved than she had been moments ago.

Nodding as he heard this, Lutjin settled back into his chair. "Begin pre-launch preparations at once," he commanded to Lindermann and the rest of the bridge crew. "And standby to recall our mobile suits. We will collect them upon departure."

Even as those commands were carried out, Lutjin remained focused on the fighting ahead. It would only last for ten minutes longer unfortunately, but that was more than easy enough to abide by. Only when the _Dolowa_ at last departed Zorres would the Feddies _truly_ understand her power. The power that would devour worlds, up to and including ever distant Earth. The power that would finalize Zeon's conquest, once and for all.

_His_ power, Lutjin reflected, his smile deepening. _His_ alone.


End file.
